Trump Administration Proposes Yosemite Land Swap for Developer's 2 40-Acre Parcels
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 28
Trump Administration Proposes Yosemite Land Swap for Developer's 2 40-Acre Parcels
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 28
Summary
A small parcel inside Yosemite’s western boundary is under consideration for transfer to a private developer, a proposal federal officials say is not yet final.
The swap would give Kingsbarn Realty Capital-controlled land a road connection through the park, enabling development of two nearby 40-acre parcels; in return, the company would provide land of equivalent value.
Kingsbarn bought the parcels in 2024 for $4 million through Sanctuary at Yosemite, according to property records and documents submitted to Congress.
Conservationists, former park officials and Democrats including Senator Adam Schiff oppose the plan, saying Yosemite should be off limits to development and criticizing use of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Interior Department said any exchange would still require environmental review and public notice, reviving a type of access proposal that Yosemite officials and courts rejected in the early 2000s.