Trump administration pushing to hand parcel of Yosemite land to private developer – report

The Trump administration is reportedly exploring a proposal to hand over a quarter-mile parcel of land inside Yosemite National Park to a private developer, sparking pushback from lawmakers and conservation advocates, according to a report by the news outlet Notus.

Under the potential deal, the National Park Service would transfer the Yosemite land to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based real estate firm, in exchange for a parcel of equal value located elsewhere in California. Citing internal agency documents and sources directly familiar with the discussions, the report indicated that top political appointees in the Department of the Interior back the proposal, creating friction with career staff at the National Park Service.

Kingsbarn purchased an 83-acre plot of undeveloped land adjacent to the park's border in 2024. Currently, accessing the site requires traveling along an indirect route more than 10 miles from the nearest park entrance. Kingsbarn Chief Executive Officer Jeff Pori wants to construct a short access road across the park land to connect the private property directly to a main Yosemite traffic corridor. The previous owner of the property had unsuccessfully lobbied the federal government for decades to secure permission for a private road to support a proposed resort.

The Department of the Interior vigorously disputed the reporting. In a statement, Interior spokesperson Aubrie Spady said there has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome and characterized claims that the department is secretly working to hand over park land as false. Spady added that no final decisions have been reached, noting that any proposed land exchange or access project would remain subject to federal regulations, environmental impact reviews, and public notice procedures.

The reported negotiations have nevertheless provoked strong condemnation from environmental groups. Jayson O'Neill, spokesperson for the advocacy organization Save Our Parks, accused Interior Secretary Doug Burgum of participating in a broader effort to privatize public lands. O'Neill stated that officials spent a year secretly negotiating to hand a piece of Yosemite over to a well-connected developer while claiming to protect national parks.

Political opposition in California is also mounting. Both of California's U.S. senators have expressed opposition to the road project, along with Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman. Huffman vowed to block the proposal, arguing that national parks are shared public assets that should be preserved for future generations rather than monetized by wealthy developers.