This is one outlet's own report from Newsweek — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
Map Shows Yosemite Property at Center of Trump Land Deal
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A proposed land exchange near Yosemite National Park is drawing scrutiny amid reports that the Trump administration is considering a deal to allow a private developer to build a road through or alongside federal park land.
The proposal would provide access to Nevada-based Kingsbarn Realty Capital's 83-acre Hazel Green property, located just outside the park's western boundary, via a short roadway connected to the existing park network.
Lanny J. Davis, counsel to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, the firm working on the possible sale, told Newsweek in an emailed statement that the project is "for an access road under a half mile."
"This land exchange mechanism is expressly provided for under federal law and will not reduce the land area of the park," Davis added.
The plan has prompted opposition from environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers. Proponents argue the project will improve safety and reduce vehicle emissions by shortening travel routes, while critics contend it establishes a troubling precedent for private development adjacent to public lands.
In an emailed statement to Newsweek on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior , which oversees the National Park Service (NPS), said, "There has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome, and claims suggesting the Department is secretly working to hand over National Park Service land to a private developer are false."
"This story relies on anonymous allegations to manufacture a political narrative that simply is not true," the statement read.
The Interior Department added that any potential agreement remains under consideration.
"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. No final decisions have been made," the statement continued. "If a proposal advances, the Department will follow established procedures to ensure appropriate coordination, transparency and public involvement consistent with federal law. Anonymous speculation does not change those facts."
NPS officials have been exploring a potential arrangement under which Kingsbarn could obtain an easement or other interest in a narrow section of Yosemite land in exchange for property of equal value elsewhere in California , NOTUS reported.
Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park's former superintendent, told The Los Angeles Times he believes the proposal itself is unlawful.
"I think it's basically illegal, number one. We just don't do this kind of activity. We don't transfer public lands to other entities," Neubacher said. "It even went to Congress this past year. They wanted to get approval from Congress to do it, but Congress said no."
"Five million visitors that already have access to the park. But this particular area is unique in the sense that there's Pacific fishers, there's lots of wildlife that great gray owls are found in this area that you would not want to disturb and you would want additional development," Neubacher told the newspaper. "There's enough pressure on the park already. There are a lot of developments outside Yosemite, and at least they're playing by the rules."
The Times reported that the developer would provide land of equal value in return for a parcel in Yosemite National Park.
California's Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla , have also voiced strong opposition.
"Yosemite is one of California's natural wonders. The courts struck this project down once, but this administration appears hell-bent on moving forward," Schiff wrote in a post on X on Friday. "We will fight this again."
Padilla echoed those concerns on X, writing, "Yosemite is not for sale."
The property at the center of the dispute is situated in the Stanislaus National Forest, roughly five miles from one of Yosemite's giant sequoia groves. Kingsbarn purchased the site on February 1, 2024. While independent of the national park, the parcel is surrounded by public lands, complicating access for future use. Maps included in reports about the proposal show the land west of Yosemite near Big Oak Flat Road, a major route into the park.
Davis said Kingsbarn has spent six months working with NPS staff to craft an environmentally sound access solution.
"Working with these Yosemite Park Service professionals, and always seeking a pro-environmental, community-supported decision, we identified a land exchange for an access road under a half mile," Davis told Newsweek .
Without direct access, Davis argued, visitors and residents must rely on longer, unpaved forest routes that increase travel time and vehicle emissions.
"Without a direct access route, every trip from the Hazel Green area requires a significantly longer drive—twice as long, at a minimum—on unpaved forest roads and thus more air pollution," Davis said. "The new access road would be safer for drivers and generate substantially less vehicle emissions."
Davis, who identified himself in the statement as a longtime Democratic political operative and attorney, described his involvement as an effort focused on safety and environmental stewardship rather than a political initiative, noting that any formal agreement would still require comprehensive environmental reviews and public comment periods.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Jenni Fink and Anthony Murray .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
