The problem is the federal government owns too much land.
There’s no logical reason the federal government should own upwards of 50% of the land in some western states. None at all. Do you think the writers of the Constitution ever envisioned the federal government owning (and controlling) this much land?
Yes, there is a logical reason that much of the west is federal land. It was not some land-grab. It's owned by default. No one wanted to homestead it, few want to buy it. Look at the large areas of public land. They are largely desert or mountaintop. No roads, no power, no water. Want some? You can buy lots of it that have only the above problems, really cheap. 100 acres or more for $10K was common last year when I looked, if you didn't mind if it has no water and is landlocked by other property with no easement to get to it.