It isn't just about putting antennas on public lands.

There are people who visit public lands and parks and paint graffiti on archaeological sites. I don't need to mention how destructive this can be and hope we can agree that destroying sites like this should be punished harshly.

Installing antennas without permission on public lands may not seem like a big deal but if everyone were allowed to go out and do whatever they wanted to do on public land then most of our public land would've been stripped bare decades ago.

There are rules in place that help us all find a common ground and baseline from which we can all operate without interfering with other's rights. Fees are designed so that operators on public lands pay royalties to the treasury for the right of access and production of public resources from public lands - mining, logging, oil and gas exploration, etc.

Someone has decided to ignore the process, avoid any fees, and to avoid asking permission. Perhaps they operate under the bullshit maxim that it's easier to ask forgiveness than to do the paperwork required to obtain permission especially if obtaining permission would expose themselves and their operations to too much scrutiny. Since an installation like this probably requires permits where the operator has to define their specific use case, potentially do some environmental impact and archaeological site study assessments, obtain radio spectrum broadcast licenses, etc then they would rather try to avoid paying for any of that while they reap the benefit of the network they are building and operating.

I see no reason not to throw the book at everyone involved including anyone who assisted in the installations by providing labor.

If this later turns out to be something with a clear public benefit then make them pay all costs of legalizing their operations and tack on all the costs associated with investigating these antennas, identifying them and removing any equipment before they became a legal operator. Use appropriate media to inform the general public about the process and the findings and the reasons for any penalties assessed. Appropriate media, not social media.

I personally don't have a problem with making them regret ever trying to become an exception to the rules they have decided to ignore.

When you consider that most access to public land for private uses comes with ridiculously low fees and relaxed rules there really is no excuse for non-compliance. Many of the fees for use have not been increased in decades and some may still date to the last part of the 19th century. With that in mind it makes no sense for anyone with a legitimate use case to avoid paying the fees and making it all above board unless they know in advance that gaining approval for their installations would not happen once those in charge of managing public lands understand what they intend to do.

Frankly, I'm tired of people and/or companies just going out and doing whatever they want to do ignoring all the rules and regulations that are in place and then escaping consequences when they are found to be operating outside the laws.

Humiliate them. Fine them. If existing penalties specify jail time then jail them. How many times would one need to do this before others decided to just follow the existing rules and carry on?