Tell the Trump administration: our public lands aren't for sale
In June, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) quietly approved an AI data center on public land in Boulder City, Nevada — the first ever greenlit on federally managed public lands. [1]
There was no new environmental review. There was no public comment period.1 Boulder City's own Planning Commission had voted 6-1 against it. [1]
Boulder City appealed. So did activists like you. The approval was halted. [3]
But that didn't slow down the Trump administration. Interior leadership told BLM state directors to identify more public land for data center development — giving them three days to produce the lists — and called it a top priority. [3]
Boulder City was the test case. If they get their way, the public lands near you are next.
The Trump administration is excluding affected communities from decisions about public lands — and it's accelerating. [3]
BLM has already approved groundwater testing near Silver Springs, Nevada.
In Virginia, the National Park Service is weighing a proposal to hand a developer 36 acres of Prince William Forest Park.
Meanwhile, Secretary Burgum spent last year meeting with dozens of tech and energy executives, including Amazon's CEO, on permitting and infrastructure to support data center growth.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has introduced a bill to block future data centers on federal land. [2] But while courts and Congress will take time, Doug Burgum must shut this down now. Our opposition is working. Let's use every tool we've got.
Sources:
"Trump Administration Green Lights First-Ever Public Land Data Center in Nevada." Field & Stream. Aug. 10, 2026.
"Rep. Tlaib introduces a bill to ban AI data centers on federal lands." Office of Rep. Rashida Tlaib. July 23, 2026.
"Trump orders BLM to find public land for data centers." The Washington Sun / The Salt Lake Tribune. Sept. 13, 2026.