The Trump administration is considering transferring a small parcel of Yosemite National Park to a private developer, reportedly to enable a direct road connection to the park from land the company already owns adjacent to the park. Multiple outlets report that the proposal involves a roughly quarter-mile (about 400-metre) strip inside Yosemite and centers on improving access to a development site outside the park.
According to reporting based on documents and agency discussions, the National Park Service is exploring ways to provide the developer with either the land or an “interest” in it, such as an easement, in exchange for land elsewhere in California of equal value. Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based company, would use the access to connect its property to an interior park road. Some reports say the company already has more circuitous access from farther away, which would make the new route substantially more direct.
Outlets also describe political and administrative context and differing emphases. The reports note internal pushback and concern from park-related groups, including a NPS employees union, and reactions from conservationists and Democrats. Other coverage focuses on the administration’s process and documentation, including a claim that the proposal is supported within the Department of the Interior’s leadership.
The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and The Hill all frame the matter as an ongoing review or consideration, rather than a completed transfer, and cite agency officials or submitted documents as the basis for the claims.
