On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that his office is monitoring reports that the Trump administration is exploring transferring a slice of Yosemite National Park to a private developer.
Kingsbarn Eyes Yosemite Land for Road Access
In a post on X, Bonta stated, “Our national parks belong to the people. They’re not the property of any one administration.”
The National Park Service has reportedly examined transferring a quarter-mile tract to a firm tied to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based company, Notus reported on Friday, citing internal documents and unnamed sources.
Kingsbarn already owns 83 undeveloped acres bordering the park and has sought a road connecting its land to Yosemite’s main routes.
Officials reportedly proposed the park service exchange the parcel for equally valuable California land elsewhere, a plan backed by interior department leadership.
Interior Department Pushes Back
According to a report from The Guardian, Interior spokesperson Aubrie Spady denied any predetermined plan to hand over park land, calling the characterization false and stating there “has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome.”
Critics, including advocacy group Save Our Parks and California lawmakers, blasted the proposal.
In an X post Friday, Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill criticized the reported move, calling it part of a broader push to privatize national park land under Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
In a separate post, he wrote, “If the deal goes through, the Trump administration would be breaking with 150 years of American precedent at the birthplace of the national park system.”
Responding to the news, California’s North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D) wrote on X, “I will fight this, both for Yosemite and for every treasured park that would be up for grabs if this domino falls.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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