national
U.S. Forest Service Chief Reportedly Requested Firefighting Aircraft for Wildfire Near Personal Ranch
Just the facts
U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Michael Boren, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, repeatedly contacted agency staff regarding the 7-acre Cabin Creek fire in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest. Flight tracking data indicated that nine firefighting aircraft responded to the blaze, with some resources diverted from other regional wildfires. Boren owns a 480-acre ranch in the adjacent Sawtooth National Recreation Area where the fire burned in mid-July. A Department of Agriculture spokesperson denied that Boren pressured officials or improperly directed firefighting resources.
Why this is news
Internal agency communications revealed that U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Michael Boren contacted Forest Service staff multiple times regarding a fire near his Idaho property.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.