In 2021 the Federal Government controlled 27.4% of America Public Land (623.3 million acres out of 2.3 billion acres). Federal Public Land Holdings include: 4.63% of the 13 Colonies (9.3 million acres); 4.4% of the States added in the next 50-years (16.3 million acres); but 51.6% of 12 Western States (577 million acres out of 1.1 billion acres), as follows:
Alaska 61.24% 223.8 million acres; Nevada 84.94% 59.7 million acres; California 45.77% 45.9 million acres; Utah 64.90% 34.2 million acres; Idaho 61.63% 32.6 million acres; Oregon 52.95% 32.6 million acres; Wyoming 48.14% 30 million acres; Arizona 38.61% 28 million acres; Montana 28.95% 27 million acres; New Mexico 34.70% 27 million acres; Colorado 35.90% 23.9 million acres; Washington 28.52% 12.2 million acres.

The “Framers” assumed States’ Rights was the Foundation of our political system and only expected the Federal Government to own land for “the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings” under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the US Constitution. They never expected the Federal Government to retain extensive land ownership and control in newly formed States because this would undermine State authority and could promote Federal over-reach and corruption.

Western State Constitutions primarily written by the Federal Government for unwitting State legislators included several provisions: “Paramount Supremacy” was given the US Government over the State; and, “The Ordinance” which stated: “all undistributed public lands would be retained by the Federal Government and could never be taxed by the State”. This provision would be “irrevocable without the consent of Congress and the people of the State.”

“Federal Supremacy” and “The Ordinance” provisions are clearly Un-Constitutional. To date, the US Federal District Courts have glossed over these issues and, resultantly, have not treated prior Federal Land ownership cases with proper consideration.

States’ Rights should override Federal Control and State’s should be the custodians of their public land, not the Federal Government. Obviously, by mutual agreement, some land should be deemed Federal for parks and monuments important to the Nation. Note: The District of Columbia (DC) should not become a State because it was formed to provide a neutral , a-political location for the United States Capitol.

Raw Statistics Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com, Data Analysis and Interpretation by WeStandUnited.Cloud