Frankfurt (Germany), 29 Aug. (LaPresse) – The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering selling a portion of land within Yosemite National Park in California to a private buyer. This is according to Notus, which reports that the National Park Service is examining the possibility of transferring an area of approximately a quarter of a mile to a company linked to the property developer Kingsbarn Realty Capital. As reported by The Guardian, the Nevada-based company already owns a 34-hectare plot of land immediately outside the park, purchased in 2024. Its chief executive, Jeff Pori, would like to build a shorter private road to link the area to one of Yosemite’s main roads and facilitate access to a potential property development. According to Notus, administration officials have proposed an exchange, handing over the park land in return for an area of equal value in another part of California. The proposal is reportedly backed by senior political figures within the Department of the Interior and is said to have caused tensions within the National Park Service. The Department of the Interior has, however, denied that there is any political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome and has described the suggestion of a secret plan to hand over park land to a private developer as ‘false’. No final decision has reportedly been taken. The news has sparked protests from environmentalists and supporters of national parks. The two Californian senators and the Democratic MP Jared Huffman are also opposed, arguing that Yosemite and the other parks must be protected and not turned into profit-making opportunities for private developers.
US: Trump considers selling part of Yosemite National Park to private investors
Frankfurt (Germany), 29 Aug. (LaPresse) – The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering selling a portion of land within Yosemite National Park in California to a private buyer. This is according to Notus, which reports that the National Park Service is examining the possibility of transferring an area of approximately a quarter of a mile to a company linked to the property developer Kingsbarn Realty Capital. As reported by The Guardian, the Nevada-based company already owns a 34-hectare plot of land immediately outside the park, purchased in 2024. Its chief executive, Jeff Pori, would like to build a shorter private road to link the area to one of Yosemite’s main roads and facilitate access to a potential property development. According to Notus, administration officials have proposed an exchange, handing over the park land in return for an area of equal value in another part of California. The proposal is reportedly backed by senior political figures within the Department of the Interior and is said to have caused tensions within the National Park Service. The Department of the Interior has, however, denied that there is any political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome and has described the suggestion of a secret plan to hand over park land to a private developer as ‘false’. No final decision has reportedly been taken. The news has sparked protests from environmentalists and supporters of national parks. The two Californian senators and the Democratic MP Jared Huffman are also opposed, arguing that Yosemite and the other parks must be protected and not turned into profit-making opportunities for private developers.