Trump administration faces pushback after looking to privatize land on Yosemite National Park

By Aleena Fayaz, Kaanita Iyer, CNN

(CNN) — A plan being considered by the Trump administration to allow a developer to use a portion of Yosemite National Park land is facing strong opposition from elected officials and conservationists, reflecting broader concerns about privatizing some of the country’s most cherished landmarks.

The National Park Service is considering a land exchange between a private Nevada-based developer and the park. The exchange would enable the firm to build a road that would allow easier access to a 83-acre plot of land where it plans to develop a small village of homes and retail property, according to documents and the developer’s attorney.

It’s a 25-mile drive along public roads to the plot, which is adjacent to the park, according to developer Kingsbarn Realty Capital’s lawyer, Lanny Davis. The developer aims to construct a much shorter access road that would cut through what’s now park land, Davis added. Kingsburn said in a later statement that if the proposal is approved, it would still be a 45-minute drive from the property to the Yosemite Valley floor.

The proposal is a workaround for NPS, which conceded in a budget proposal to Congress for this fiscal year that it does not have the legal authority to simply grant the land to Kingsbarn.

The Department of Interior, which includes the National Park Service, said there has been “no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome” and that no final decisions have been made.

“Any land exchange or access proposal involving National Park Service lands would be subject to all applicable federal laws, regulations and Departmental policies, including required environmental review and public notification processes,” an Interior Department spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

The move would mark another attempt to allow private control of federally owned property. This follows efforts by the administration to reduce the size of federally protected land in Utah and to allow portions of Big Bend National Park in Texas to be used for border security infrastructure. It also underscores President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape treasured sites, which have included orders from his administration to remove certain signs, rollback protections and reassign staff — actions that have put a strain on park rangers.

A union that represents NPS employees, including at Yosemite, said in an Instagram post that it is “appalled.”

“As stewards of Yosemite, the ceding of public lands for private interests is antithetical to what we stand for as employees of the National Park Service,” the Yosemite Leadership of National Federation of Federal Employees Local 465 said, adding that it is “incredibly concerned about the implications of this private development for the working conditions of an already overwhelmed staff.”

Kingsbarn Realty Capital purchased the plot of land, known as “Hazel Green Ranch,” in February 2024 from a private owner, according to a statement from Davis.

The chief executive of Kingsbarn, Jeff Pori, made several donations to Trump’s joint fundraiser committee for his 2024 campaign, according to campaign finance records. CNN has asked Pori, through Davis, for comment on his donations.

Kingsbarn said in a statement to CNN on Saturday that it did not discuss the proposal with the White House.

“While it’s true that the National Park Service is part of the executive branch of the federal government and is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Kingsbarn has had not had any communication or contact with the White House on this proposed plan,” the company said.

A previous owner of the property also attempted to build a similar shorter road that was blocked by a court in 2012, according to media reports at the time.

Officials in Mariposa and Tuolumne counties, which partially include Yosemite, told CNN that NPS and Kingsbarn did not communicate with them about the proposal, adding that they learned about it Friday.

The proposal drew swift criticism from Democratic lawmakers, national park advocates and climbers, who stressed that the country’s national parks are “sacred.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a post on X, “Trump is hellbent on destroying everything that is sacred and beautiful about this country. California won’t stand by while he grifts our public lands.” CNN has reached out to Newsom’s office to inquire whether it has communicated with NPS or Kingsbarn about the proposal.

Rock climber Alex Honnold, who made history in 2017 by becoming the first person to free climb El Capitan, a vertical rock formation at Yosemite, called the move “insane” and the “epitome of selling the future to cash out in the present.”

“Yosemite is the most beautiful National Park in the US (in my opinion anyway… ) and I’m so grateful that it’s been protected for over 100 years,” Honnold posted on his Instagram story Friday.

Meanwhile, Neal Desai, the senior Pacific regional director for National Parks Conservation Association, told CNN, “This is sending the signal that any piece of land in our national parks is for sale.”

“The American people, they expect our park service and the Trump administration to be working to protect these places, not helping real estate developers build luxury commercial developments and selling out and selling off Yosemite National Park,” he added.

Desai said the NPCA will “be taking every and all action to protect Yosemite.”

Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California raised concerns about the precedent the land exchange would set if approved.

“Our parks belong to all of us. These places should be protected for every generation, not sold off to Trump’s ultra-wealthy friends to profit off of,” said Huffman, the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “I will fight this, both for Yosemite and for every treasured park that would be up for grabs if this domino falls.”

Davis, Kingsbarn’s attorney, dismissed concerns about precedence for building at national parks, arguing the change would bring a net positive to the environment.

“There’s no pro-environmental argument in favor of 700 feet of automobile exhaust versus what amounts to 20 or 30 minutes,” Davis said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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