Trump administration faces backlash over Yosemite park giveaway

The Trump administration is reportedly considering transferring a section of Yosemite National Park to a private developer. An investigation by NOTUS revealed that the government has spent over a year working to transfer a roughly 400-meter strip of the park to a company connected to Kingsbarn Realty Capital. This potential action is described as the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to reduce conservation protections on public lands. Previous actions include shrinking Utah national monuments and proposing to end restrictions on logging and road-building in national forests.

The Trump administration is reportedly exploring a plan to transfer a quarter-mile parcel of land within Yosemite National Park to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based private developer. The company, which owns adjacent undeveloped land, seeks to build a private road through the park to improve access to its property. Administration officials have proposed an land exchange for the Yosemite parcel. While an Interior Department spokesperson denied political pressure and false reporting, the potential transfer has drawn criticism from environmental advocates and California lawmakers who view it as an attempt to privatize public lands. The Interior Department stated no final decisions have been made and any proposal would undergo federal review and public notification.