Veterans Call for Moratorium on Data Centers on Public Lands

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Veterans for Public Lands, a nonprofit organization advocating for the protection of America's public lands, has launched a national initiative calling for an immediate moratorium on new data center development on federal public lands. The group, which unites veterans who have served to protect these lands, is urging the Secretary of the Interior and the 120th Congress to pause such developments while the government establishes safeguards for public input, environmental review, water and energy use, and Tribal consultation.

The initiative comes in the wake of a historic midterm election that saw at least 69 veterans elected to Congress, including a significant number of women veterans. This election also delivered a clear message on data center development, with voters favoring restrictions or blocks on projects in 43 out of 44 local ballot contests. In Maine, voters approved three binding, temporary data-center moratoriums, while in Bloomington, Illinois, 78% of voters backed a call for a moratorium.

VFPL is calling on lawmakers to advance legislation in the first 100 days of the new Congress that establishes a moratorium on new data center development on federal public lands and requires meaningful public input, environmental review, and Tribal consultation. The group emphasizes that the common ground on this issue extends across party lines, with a 2026 University of Pennsylvania Annenberg survey showing that majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents oppose new data centers in their communities: 69% of Democrats, 54% of Republicans, and 53% of independents.

Public lands face increasing pressure from privatization, industrial development, rollbacks, and reduced capacity to manage and protect them. VFPL's campaign to halt data center development reflects broad public concern about the effects of large facilities on land, water, energy costs, access, and nearby communities.

Military service and public land stewardship have long been interconnected. For many veterans, these places are a source of community, healing, and renewed purpose. Public lands also support many veterans' livelihoods, from careers in conservation and land management to outdoor recreation. VFPL equips veterans and military families to speak out, lead, and serve as stewards of the lands and waters they served to defend.