Trump Administration Pursues Plan to Give Slice of Yosemite to Private Developer

The Trump Administration is aiming to cede a quarter-mile strip of Yosemite National Park to a developer, NOTUS reports.

The proposed deal would involve a developer who owns land adjacent to the park, according to the outlet, which cites several unnamed sources involved in the deal. The National Park Service would have ultimate authority on such a deal.

The company is an affiliate of investment firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital, and in exchange it would offer land elsewhere in California that hasn't yet been selected. According to the report, that company wants to use the land to build a road to its own property.

Much of Yosemite's surrounding land is buffeted by national forest. That forces private developers to create more circuitous routes through rural areas in order to gain access to the park's landmarks.

Any change to the borders of Yosemite could have significant impacts on the valuable real estate and cabin community around it. Neighboring markets like Fresno have been particularly challenged as housing markets in California grapple with rising prices.

The National Park Service didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump has cited his prior real estate development experience as he's aimed to enact some major development projects at the nation's landmarks, especially in Washington D.C. Many of these efforts have been widely controversial, as any effort to sell of part of a national park may be.

Trump also directed controversial projects to federal spaces, including a ballooning ballroom project at the White House. Efforts to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, construct a 250-foot arch near Arlington Cemetery, and rename the Kennedy Center also landed him local criticism.

The 1,200-mile Yosemite park, noted for its sequoia trees, tall cliffs and waterfalls, was first created in 1864.