Restore Democratic Control Over America's Federal Public Lands
A fiscal and constitutional case to halt private corporate access to 640 million acres of public land without mandatory public hearings and Congressional authorization.
The Constitutional Case:
Why This Must Stop Now
Two landmark Supreme Court decisions have fundamentally changed what federal agencies can do without Congress saying so.
West Virginia v. EPA (2022)
Agencies cannot claim authority over questions of "vast economic and political significance" without clear Congressional authorization. Federal lands decisions involving 640M+ acres and $100B+ in annual activity demand a vote — not a memo.
Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024)
Chevron deference is dead. Courts must now exercise independent judgment to find the "best reading" of statutes — no more rubber-stamping agency overreach. Every federal lands decision faces heightened judicial scrutiny.
The Constitutional Violation
Secret settlements converting agricultural land to wilderness. Executive orders expanding extraction. Agency decisions bypassing public hearings. All without express Congressional authorization — all unconstitutional.
"We expect Congress to speak clearly if it wishes to assign to an agency decisions of vast economic and political significance."— Chief Justice Roberts, West Virginia v. EPA (2022)
The Oil Economy Is Declining.
New Extraction Is a Losing Bet.
The electric vehicle revolution has created a structural, irreversible decline in oil demand. Investing taxpayer resources in new extraction infrastructure isn't bold — it's fiscally reckless.
🛢️ The Market Has Spoken
The 2025 ANWR lease sale received ZERO bids. The Willow Project's lifetime revenue estimate was cut from $6.3B to $2.6B — a 50% collapse. Alaska's oil share of its state budget has fallen from 90% in 2012 to 23% in FY2026. Oil companies are returning 45% of cash flow to shareholders rather than reinvesting in production. The industry itself is retreating from frontier projects.
The Renewable Alternative:
Sustainable Timber for American Housing
Unlike fossil fuels, timber regenerates. Selective harvesting reduces wildfire risk, stores carbon in buildings for decades, and creates sustainable rural jobs.
🌲 No Clearcutting
"Continuous cover forestry" retaining >60% canopy. Riparian buffers (35ft perennial, 15ft seasonal) protect waterways.
🔥 Wildfire Reduction
Selective thinning reduces fuel loads to ≤2 tons/acre. Lowers $3B+ annual suppression costs. Fire resilience built in.
🏗️ Carbon Storage
Mass timber sequesters ~1 metric ton CO₂ per cubic meter. Buildings store carbon for decades. Old-growth (>80 years) permanently protected.
💼 Rural Jobs
Domestic production down 80% from peak — massive room for sustainable growth. Processing supports forest-dependent communities.
Indigenous Tribal Co-Stewardship:
Restoring Millennia of Wisdom
Indigenous peoples maintained forest, water, and land health for thousands of years through Traditional Ecological Knowledge. It's time to honor treaty obligations and restore their voices to land management.
Mandatory Board Representation
Minimum 2 Tribal representatives per region on all federal land, water, and forestry management boards — with full voting authority, not merely advisory capacity.
Cultural Burning Recognized
Traditional fire management recognized as a sovereign right and sacred ecology. Indigenous management maintained 40-60 trees/acre vs. today's catastrophic 300+.
TEK Integration
Traditional Ecological Knowledge accorded equal standing with Western scientific methods in all land management decisions. Millennia of evidence demands respect.
The People's 10 Demands
Based on constitutional, fiscal, and democratic principles, the undersigned citizens formally demand:
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1
Immediate Moratorium Halt all federal lands leasing, permitting, and access decisions pending Congressional review and establishment of mandatory public hearing requirements.
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2
Congressional Authorization Required All decisions of vast economic significance must receive express Congressional authorization per the Major Questions Doctrine.
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3
Mandatory Public Hearings No major federal lands decision without hearings in affected communities and 120-day minimum comment periods.
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4
Indigenous Tribal Co-Stewardship Mandatory Tribal representation on all land, water, and forestry management boards with full voting authority.
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5
Cultural Burning Recognition Recognized as sovereign right and sacred ecology, integrated into federal forest management nationwide.
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6
Selective Timber Harvest Standards >60% canopy retention, riparian buffer protections, and permanent old-growth carbon reserve preservation.
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7
Comprehensive Fiscal Impact Analysis Compare extraction revenue against stranded asset risk, wildfire liability, and renewable resource alternatives before any decision.
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8
Local Citizen Advisory Boards Meaningful input authority for each federal lands management unit — ranchers, tribal nations, elected officials, small businesses, conservationists.
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9
Void Unconstitutional Settlements Administrative settlements that converted agricultural lands to wilderness without Congressional authorization are void ab initio.
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10
GAO Investigation Investigate all federal lands decisions made without proper Congressional authorization under the Major Questions Doctrine.
This Petition Goes Directly To:
Executive Branch
Secretary Doug Burgum (Interior)
Bill Groffy (BLM)
Randy Moore (Forest Service)
Deb Haaland (Former — investigation)
Senate Leadership
Sen. Mike Lee (Energy Chair)
Sen. Martin Heinrich (Ranking)
Sen. John Thune (Majority Leader)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (Minority Leader)
House Leadership
Rep. Bruce Westerman (Nat. Resources Chair)
Rep. Jared Huffman (Ranking)
Speaker Mike Johnson
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (Minority Leader)