Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater first came to prominence as leaders of The Sagebrush Rebellion.
That was an effort to turn these lands over to the respective states for development.
What once was old, is new again:)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagebrush_Rebellion
Check out the map at the above link. Full 1/3 of the western US is out of service and over half of Alaska too.
What would be the wealth of this nation if we were allowed to develop and use these lands? They are NOT without worth.
I'm a firm believer that the land belongs in private ownership. The government could probably come close to retiring the national debt by selling off it's "useless" real estate.