Sure they can - all land is controlled by land use regulations, zoning regulations and other laws and regs. Your local elected officials are in charge of changes to such things. By all means, vote for the people getting into those offices, and get engaged with local governance. Especially in the more rural areas, where the large land holdings tend to fall, there will be a smaller electorate, and the local community can have a significant impact on local decisions.

For federal land, significant projects are open for public comments, and they absolutely respond to the people who live in the area. I've seen numerous development projects proposed by the rich get shot down after the community got involved through the comment process.