1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

As your constituent, I am writing to every member of Congress—and especially to those concluding their service in January—about the Interior Department's new plan to sell off public land and how Congress can stop it. On Nov. 10, Interior released its FY2026–2030 strategic plan, endorsing for the first time in department history "decreasing the size of the federal estate" by selling federal lands to states, localities, and Tribes—even kicking back a portion of proceeds to purchasing entities. The plan names no acreage, parcels, or price caps, and fails to define which lands remain "nationally significant." Look at how the pieces fit together: - Parcel-Splitting Loophole: BLM can sell tracts under 2,500 acres without congressional review, with no statutory cap on total sales. A 2025 onX and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership map identified 6.1 million BLM acres already flagged as eligible for disposal. - AI Data Center Fast-Track: The White House directed BLM offices to identify public land for data centers (USGS estimates 91.3 million Interior acres could host them). Simultaneously, Interior's new planning rule cuts public comment periods from 90 to 30 days and eliminates mandatory environmental impact statements. - Unresolved Ethics Conflicts: ProPublica reported Nov. 6 that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum holds most of his wealth in Arthur Ventures, which holds an estimated $18.1 million to $64.4 million in AI companies, according to Save Our Parks. - Permitting Rollbacks: S. 5653, which advanced 73–25 in the Senate on Nov. 9, weakens environmental review and judicial challenges for public-land projects. Last year, a Senate proposal to sell up to 3 million acres collapsed under bipartisan backlash from hunters, anglers, and outdoor users. An agency strategic plan is not law, and Congress holds constitutional authority over federal property. Before this Congress adjourns, I urge you to: 1. Vote NO on S. 5653 unless environmental review rollbacks for public-land development are stripped. 2. Insert language in year-end funding barring funds to survey, process, or execute public land sales or transfers. 3. Require congressional approval for cumulative BLM sales exceeding 2,500 acres so large tracts cannot be subdivided. 4. Mandate public disclosure of every parcel under consideration for sale or data-center leasing. 5. Request Interior Inspector General and Office of Government Ethics reviews of Secretary Burgum's AI holdings and recusals. Public lands belong to every American—including the hunters, anglers, ranchers, and hikers in your state. Congress must say no.