Background and office
Michael Boren served briefly in an acting Interior Department leadership role before becoming USDA undersecretary for natural resources and environment, a position with oversight responsibilities involving the U.S. Forest Service. This is a different agency from the Bureau of Land Management.
Disclosed investments
Boren's financial disclosure lists a $250,000–$500,000 interest in Valar Atomics, according to the records compiled by ProPublica. ProPublica also reported approximately $1.5 million–$6.1 million in interests related to Elon Musk's xAI. These amounts represent disclosure ranges and do not imply he has profited from Project Beehive or any federal action.
Why Valar is relevant
Valar is pursuing a large proposed nuclear-powered data-center and industrial campus near Price, Utah. KSL reported that Utah state officials approved a state trust-land lease proposal in September 2026, while BLM acknowledged only an initial federal-land application affecting approximately 9,000 acres. State lease approval is not federal project approval.
USDA told ProPublica that Boren complied with federal ethics rules and would continue following ethics counsel's advice. No verified record reviewed here shows that Boren approved, directed or intervened in BLM's consideration of Valar's federal application.
Original sources and reporting
- ProPublica: Michael Boren disclosure
- ProPublica: investigation and USDA response
- KSL: Valar Project Beehive state and federal land statuses
Evidence limits: A financial disclosure documents a holding, not improper participation in a government decision. A proposal does not establish an approval. Sources are dated and may change.