Trump admin plans Yosemite land transfer to developer
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The gist
Trump administration proposes trading Yosemite land to developer Kingsbarn Realty Capital for road access. Conservationists and former Park Service officials are incensed, calling it off limits to development.
Background
The Trump administration has proposed a land swap that would transfer a small parcel inside Yosemite National Park to a company controlled by Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a private equity firm. In exchange, the company would purchase land of equivalent value and give it to the Park Service. The developer wants to build a road to access two 40-acre parcels it owns near the park, which it bought in early 2024 for $4 million. The proposal has alarmed conservationists and former officials, who note a similar plan was rejected in the early 2000s.
How it unfolded
- early 2024Kingsbarn Realty Capital, through a subsidiary, bought two parcels near Yosemite for $4 million.
- 2026Documents submitted to Congress reveal the Trump administration's proposal to transfer a small parcel inside Yosemite to Kingsbarn in exchange for land of equivalent value.
- recentlyThe New York Times reports on the proposal, noting opposition from conservationists and former Park Service officials.
Who’s saying what
- Conservationists
- Don Neubacher, former Yosemite supervisor, called the proposal 'so ridiculous, it makes you sick,' noting a similar plan was rejected in the early 2000s.
- Administration
- The Trump administration has proposed the land swap, framing it as a trade that would give the developer access while providing equivalent land to the Park Service.
Still unverified
The exact details of the land swap's approval process and the specific parcels involved have not been fully disclosed; the proposal is still under review.