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Trump Administration wants to give part of Yosemite to a developer
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration has been secretly planning a land exchange deal to give a small parcel inside Yosemite National Park to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based developer, to build a new road connecting undeveloped parcels to Yosemite's main thoroughfare.
- The developer would trade land of equivalent value to the National Park Service, but there is uncertainty over whether the land's value should be assessed at current market rates or its potentially higher value after development.
- The plan, reportedly supported by top Interior Department political leadership, has been under discussion since Spring 2025 and involves ongoing talks between Kingsbarn and the National Park Service.
- California legislators, including Congressman Jeff Huffman and Attorney General Rob Bonta, have strongly opposed the plan, emphasizing that national parks belong to the public and should be protected from private development.
- The Interior Department stated that any land exchange would comply with federal laws, regulations, environmental reviews, and public notification processes.
