Trump Administration Pushes Yosemite Land Swap Favoring Private Developer Over Public Interest
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The Interior Department under Trump is considering a land exchange that would hand over part of Yosemite to a Nevada developer for a new access road, sparking outrage from environmental groups who see this as a betrayal of public lands.
The Interior Department, under the Trump administration, is currently reviewing a controversial proposal to exchange a small but significant parcel of land within Yosemite National Park for a tract elsewhere in California. This move would pave the way for Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based private developer, to build an access road less than a mile long to the park’s western entrance. The developer, which owns the 83-acre Hazel Green Ranch bordering the park, would acquire replacement land and transfer it to the National Park Service, according to documents obtained by NOTUS.
A department spokesperson, attempting to downplay concerns, claimed that no final decision has been made and that any land exchange would supposedly comply with federal laws, regulations, environmental review, and public notification requirements. The agency further asserted that, if the proposal advances, it would follow established procedures for transparency and public involvement—a promise environmentalists have heard before.
Kingsbarn’s attorney, Lanny Davis, argued that the shorter route could reduce vehicle travel and emissions, a justification environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and the National Parks Conservation Association have roundly rejected. These groups have condemned the plan as a violation of the agency’s mission to protect the park, highlighting that a similar road proposal was previously struck down by a federal court.
This proposal is especially alarming because land swaps that benefit private developers at the expense of National Park Service property are exceedingly rare. The Trump administration has yet to clarify the legal grounds for such an exchange, raising further suspicion. Notably, Kingsbarn’s CEO, Jeff Pori, has made modest donations to President Donald Trump’s campaign, a detail that, while not directly linked to the administration’s consideration of the swap, underscores the cozy relationship between big money and public land policy under Trump.