Trump-era decision exposes mineral-rich lands across 50 states—setting the stage for a national economic revival
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — It may look like an ordinary map of the United States, but according to former CIA and White House advisor Jim Rickards, it holds the key to the most overlooked economic story in the nation’s history.
“It’s not stocks, bonds, real estate, or cash,” Rickards says. “It’s something much bigger—right beneath our feet”
According to Rickards, federal maps reveal trillions of dollars in mineral reserves stored across public lands in all 50 states. And after more than a century of inaccessibility, these resources may finally be unleashed.
“It’s enough to take a 100% stake in every company on the NASDAQ… and buy every private home in America,” Rickards explains. “If divided evenly, each U.S. household would get a check for $1.1 million. This ‘trust fund’ is not a pile of money to be equally distributed… It’s not part of a government program or handout,” Rickards explains.”
Hidden in the Open—Why No One Noticed
Rickards traces the origin of this national “endowment” to an obscure change in Title 30 of the U.S. Code, made more than 150 years ago.
“Decades ago, the U.S. Congress inserted a key provision creating what one could call a ‘national trust fund,’” Rickards says. “Over time, the estimated size of this fund has grown and grown… to $150 trillion and counting”
Despite this, the wealth remained untouched for generations—blocked by environmental regulations, red tape, and one powerful legal doctrine known as Chevron.
“For 50 years, fake experts tied us down with reams of regulation,” Rickards says. “They gave agencies like the EPA ‘kill shot’ power to stop any mining project they wanted”
Trump’s Supreme Court Quietly Cleared the Way
Everything changed, Rickards says, with a 2024 ruling by the Trump-majority Supreme Court that overturned the Chevron Doctrine—transferring regulatory power away from unelected bureaucrats.
“Now… for the first time in half a century—we can go get them,” Rickards says “Trump is re-opening our mineral-rich Federal Lands and fast-tracking companies that will recover trillions of dollars’ worth of resources”
According to Rickards, these federal lands cover 28% of the U.S., with the most valuable resources concentrated out West.
“You can see it on the map—the shaded areas belong to the public. Many contain world-class mineral deposits that have never been touched”
A Modern-Day Land Rush?
Rickards draws comparisons to the Gold Rush, the Homestead Act, and the industrial booms of the 20th century.
“An explosion of mineral wealth rained down over our nation… and anyone of modest means could stake a claim and strike it rich,” he says of past eras “This is our American Birthright—and it’s finally being unlocked”
But he warns most Americans have no idea what’s unfolding.
“The government has sat on this for over 160 years. And now, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling, it’s being unlocked—quietly”
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime”
About Jim Rickards
Jim Rickards is an economist, attorney, and former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. He played a key role in resolving the 1981 Iran Hostage Crisis, co-developed the 1970s Petrodollar Accord, and has briefed top officials on economic threats and national security.
Rickards is the editor of Strategic Intelligence, a research publication focused on the unseen forces shaping America’s financial and geopolitical future.
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Derek Warren
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