Yosemite land swap plan sparks outrage

The Trump administration is pushing to hand a quarter-mile parcel of land inside Yosemite National Park to a private developer, according to a report by the news outlet Notus. The plan involves a land swap that would benefit Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based company that owns an 83-acre plot just outside the park's boundaries.

Staff at the National Park Service have been exploring how to facilitate the transfer, Notus reported on Friday, citing agency documents and unnamed sources. The report states that the Interior Department's top political leaders support the proposal, creating internal tension within the Park Service.

Proposed road and land exchange

The developer seeks to build a short road connecting its property to a central Yosemite route. The company's current access road is more than 10 miles from the nearest park entrance, requiring a long, indirect route to reach popular attractions. Administration officials have proposed the Park Service give up the land in exchange for what they describe as equally valuable land elsewhere in California.

In a statement to the Guardian, Interior Department spokesperson Aubrie Spady rejected the report's claims. Spady argued there "has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome" and called suggestions of a secret plan to hand over park land "false." The department stated that any proposal would be subject to federal laws, environmental review, and public notification processes.

Opposition from advocates and lawmakers

The report has ignited significant backlash. Jayson O'Neill, spokesperson for the group Save Our Parks, accused Interior Secretary Doug Burgum of secretly negotiating to "hand a piece of Yosemite national park over to a well-connected developer." O'Neill described it as part of a broader push to privatize America's national parks.

"National parks belong to the American people, not monied developers who are part of Trump’s donor class," O'Neill said.

California's political representatives have also voiced strong opposition. Both of the state's U.S. senators and Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman have come out against the development efforts. Huffman, who represents California's north coast, vowed to fight the proposal.

"Our parks belong to all of us," Huffman said. "These places should be protected for every generation, not sold off to Trump’s ultra-wealthy friends to profit off of."

The controversy centers on the protection regime for one of the country's most iconic ecosystems. The undeveloped land in question was bought by Kingsbarn in 2024. Its previous owner had long sought, and failed, to get permission to build a private road through the park for a resort. The current proposal revives that decades-old ambition under a new administration.