BLM Confirms Four Right-of-Way Applications Tied to Arizona Data Center Projects

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has confirmed it has received and serialized four right-of-way proposals related to data center construction on federal lands within Arizona. While the BLM has received no direct plans to build a data center on its land, the move to open up a route for infrastructure through BLM territory highlights a worrying trend of privatization for both opponents of data center construction and conservationists in the area.

Earlier this week, KJZZ reported that Congressman Greg Stanton had joined alongside Arizona’s Democrats to demand answers following a report that at least 12 data center proposals were up for review on public federal lands in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon Utah and Wyoming.

The Democratic officials demanded transparency, action and review from both the federal government and the BLM, arguing that there had been a lack of accountability from the federal government and a potential subversion of both law and the public review process.

But Wednesday evening, the BLM confirmed the receipt of the applications to Arizona Globe, and said the projects have not made any progress since serialization—a basic documentation process confirming the receipt of the proposals by the organization. It also confirmed the locations of the four data center proposals on adjacent federal lands and provided maps of where the right-of-way proposals could take effect in BLM territory.

• Frontier Data Center — Copia Digital, LLC – approximately 17 miles west of Casa Grande, Pinal County, Arizona. Application filed for 620 acres November 13, 2025.
• Harquahala Data Center — Copia Digital, LLC – approximately 10 miles west-northwest of Tonopah, Maricopa County, Arizona. Application filed for 275 acres November 13, 2025.
• Leo Data Center — Leo Data, LLC – approximately 5 miles east-southeast of Mohave Valley, Mohave County, Arizona. Application filed for 1,110 acres January 30, 2026.
• TAP Data Center — Copia Digital, LLC – approximately 15 miles west-northwest of the City of Maricopa, Maricopa County, Arizona. Application filed for 826 acres November 13, 2025.

Outdoors enthusiasts have historically used BLM lands as open areas for hunting, fishing and recreating, with private development generally not allowed. But for private projects looking to build adjacent to the territory, they have the right-of-way process. Traditionally, these proposals involve reviewing the construction of power lines, fiber optic routes, roadways and other forms of infrastructure to ensure “the use of the public land serves a public benefit, is environmentally responsible, and complies with federal law,” according to a BLM spokesperson.

In this case, companies designed the right-of-way proposals to support both the access and the infrastructure needed for the four data center developments adjacent to BLM territory, areas that are rural and largely undeveloped.

It’s a process that has become worryingly pro-development, according to conservationists.

“Essentially, the BLM can authorize a private entity to use a specific parcel of public land for a specific purpose, such as a pipeline, a utility corridor, or, in this case, a facility site,” said Chris Borgatti, a representative of Backcountry Hunter & Anglers, a conservationist organization dedicated to preserving public lands. “While this mechanism is intended for necessary public utilities, it is increasingly being stretched to accommodate private commercial development. It is a legal pathway that enables the agency to bypass public ownership priorities in favor of private industrial interests.”

Once the BLM reviews four right-of-way proposals, they’ll undergo environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act—a set of regulations that the Trump administration has rolled back significantly.

That rollback works in tandem with several other proposals issued via executive order by the administration in July 2025 intended to spur the development of data centers on federal public lands—which ould likely sidestep a significant portion of the often lengthy public-review process.

That attempt to sidestep public review is nothing new, according to Mark Taylor, a now-retired veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, who said he’s seen similar BLM right-of-way proposals for mining operations across the state.

“Part of it could be that they want to keep it away from the populated areas to draw less of a concern. You know, out of sight out of mind,” Taylor said when asked why developers may be looking to federal lands over privately owned land. “But with the public input, oftentimes you get people that are upset, and their comments have nothing to do with the project. So you can spend a great deal of time responding to folks with comments that are not pertinent or relative to the project proposal.”

And for pro-data center developers and state officials looking to usher in economic growth, the politicization of the issue has become more than just a thorny obstacle. It’s one of the major roadblocks to development across Arizona, and an issue that may put the state on the losing side of interstate competition. Public backlash and comment sessions have spurred state officials like Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose elected role has almost nothing to do with economic development, to call for a statewide freeze on data center proposals. And in places like Eloy, Arizona, public hearings and comment periods have led to significantly downsized plans for data center facilities, despite considerable efforts by developers to ensure public satisfaction with the often major construction projects.

“Overly restrictive zoning, unpredictable permitting, and policy driven by misconceptions can stifle investment, slow innovation, and push development to more welcoming regions,” wrote Mike Brownfield, a spokesperson for the Goldwater Institute, a pro-development organization which frequently argues in favor of Arizona data center development. “Demand for digital services will not disappear. It will simply move elsewhere, often at a higher long-term cost. Public policy should recognize a simple reality: when regulation obstructs essential infrastructure, economic opportunity follows the path of least resistance.”

But to many, the tense public hearings and exhaustive comment periods — when contrasted against the federal push for development — represent more than just the tension between private and public interests. They are the frontline of a new battle forming over the American way of life.

“For hunters in Arizona, BLM lands aren’t just ‘open space,’ they are the bedrock of our hunting heritage. In a state where private land ownership can be restrictive and fragmented, BLM lands represent freedom and opportunity,” Borgatti said. “… Losing access to these areas doesn’t just mean losing a place to hunt; it means losing a piece of the American birthright that ensures hunting and fishing remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their bank account.”