Trump Administration Considers Land Swap in Yosemite National Park

The Trump administration is considering a proposal to transfer a small strip of land in Yosemite National Park to a private developer. According to reports from Notus and the New York Times, the government has spent over a year examining options to grant a strip of land approximately 400 meters wide to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a firm based in Nevada. The developer purchased approximately 33 to 35 hectares of land adjacent to the park in 2024 and seeks to build a road connecting that property to a main thoroughfare within the park to gain privileged access. In exchange, the National Park Service would receive land of equal value in another part of California. The Department of the Interior acknowledged that negotiations have occurred but stated that no final decision has been made. A spokesperson for the department noted that any proposal would be subject to federal laws, environmental analyses, and public communication. The National Parks Conservation Association and former park officials have criticized the move, with some calling it an attack on the American people. Democratic senators from California have also condemned the proposal, specifically criticizing the potential use of the Land and Water Conservation Fund to cover expenses. Some reports note that Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori made small donations to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. This proposal comes amid broader administration actions to reduce conservation protections, including the reduction of Utah national monuments and the removal of a rule barring logging and road building in national forests. Additionally, critics point to a crisis of overcrowding in Yosemite, which they attribute in part to the administration's removal of a vehicle registration system earlier this year.