Lawmakers and Activists Challenge Yosemite Land Swap Proposal

The controversy centers on a proposed land exchange involving a quarter-mile strip of the park and Kingsbarn Realty Capital. Reports suggest federal officials have faced political pressure to facilitate the deal, which would reportedly grant the developer private road access to its adjacent 83-acre property. Lawmakers, led by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff alongside Representatives Jared Huffman and Jim Costa, argue the exchange serves only to benefit a private party at the expense of national heritage.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the lawmakers challenged the department’s attempt to utilize the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the transfer. They noted that the agency has failed to identify any public land to be acquired in exchange for the Yosemite parcel, fueling suspicions that the move lacks any public interest. Concurrent with the congressional action, a coalition including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, and the Center for Biological Diversity warned that the deal sets a dangerous precedent. Activists highlighted that the firm’s CEO, Jeff Pori, is a donor to the Trump campaign, and argued that the department must honor its commitment to protect national park boundaries rather than parceling them out to politically connected interests.