The Trump administration is considering a land swap that would allow part of Yosemite National Park to be conveyed to a private company, according to a document submitted to Congress.

A National Park Service (NPS) document obtained by The Hill says a landowner wants to connect their property to a park service road, with the aim of enabling commercial development. The file sets out that the NPS would exchange land interests to accommodate the proposal.

Land Exchange Proposal

The document describes the exchange as a mechanism for the NPS to “convey an interest in land”. It adds that the landowner would need to purchase property either within Yosemite National Park or inside other National Park Service units in California.

The NPS said it was working with the landowner on an exchange that would require that land purchase as part of the arrangement. The document framed the process as an exchange rather than a transfer without compensation.

Interior Department Response

The Interior Department, which oversees the NPS, told a Senate office—according to responses shared with The Hill—that the land swap was a “priority”.

Asked about the proposal, the department said it had not made any final decisions. It said that if a proposal progressed, it would follow “established procedures” designed to ensure coordination, transparency and public involvement in line with federal law.

The department also rejected claims that it was secretly trying to hand over NPS land to a private developer. It said there had been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome and described the allegations as false.

The proposed swap was first reported by NOTUS, which said the administration was looking to give the land to a firm operated by real-estate developer and investment company Kingsbarn Realty Capital.

The Hill attempted to contact Kingsbarn for comment.

Private Developer And Legal Arguments

NOTUS reported that Lanny Davis, described as an attorney for Kingsbarn, had argued for the land exchange. In comments to NOTUS, Davis said he was not acting for President Donald Trump, but described himself as having gone to the Department of Interior to make the case.

Davis said the decision would be “pro-environmental” because it would allow construction of a road intended to provide access to and from a privately owned property. He said the road involved would be built in a way that did not endanger endangered species, and he described it as “simply a road”.

Criticism From Democrats And Advocates

The proposal has drawn criticism from Democrats in Congress. Sen. Alex Padilla, a Californian Democrat, said in a written statement to The Hill that the administration was “most corrupt” and that the Land and Water Conservation Fund exists to acquire land and interests in land to protect natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage.

Padilla said projects should be chosen on merit rather than on connections to senior Trump administration figures. His office said it was working with the Senate Appropriations Committee to seek to block the project from moving forward.

A spokesperson for Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, told The Hill that Merkley also opposed the swap.

Parks advocates also criticised the plan. Mark Rose, senior Sierra Nevada programme manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a written statement that the administration’s actions threatened the country’s conservation legacy and that the deal would turn NPS land over to a private developer.

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29 August 2026

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It will get tied up in court until trump is in the dustbin of history.

2 hours ago, Tug said:

It will get tied up in court until trump is in the dustbin of history.

This smells like the tax amnesty settlement. Trump Inc. negotiating with Trump USA. Fraudulent comtract, 100%.

DT pronounced it "yo semite."

A very good brain, he has.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/2020/08/04/president-trump-turns-heads-mispronunciation-yosemite/3290270001/

Selling off the family jewels !

6 hours ago, Tug said:

It will get tied up in court until trump is in the dustbin of history.

Then you’ll have 8 years each of Vance, Rubio and Hegseth to cry about.

Stock up on Kleenex.

Edited August 29Aug 29 by HolmesEquivelant

3 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

This smells like the tax amnesty settlement. Trump Inc. negotiating with Trump USA. Fraudulent comtract, 100%.

That statement from you bears resemblance to the old saying “A fox smells his own A—“.

The tree huggers won’t be happy. Maybe they’ll camp out on a tree branch and conduct a hunger strike.

That normally solves everything.

6 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Selling off the family jewels !

I get the impression this could be a test case for something much bigger.

Go back to that incident of the 1/6-types taking over a federal bird sanctuary a while back. The men-behind-the curtain there were the Koch Brothers. It's a grift to turn huge amounts of public land private, ultimately ending up in the hands of industry.

8 minutes ago, bendejo said:

I get the impression this could be a test case for something much bigger.

Go back to that incident of the 1/6-types taking over a federal bird sanctuary a while back. The men-behind-the curtain there were the Koch Brothers. It's a grift to turn huge amounts of public land private, ultimately ending up in the hands of industry.

Could not agree more.......the whole thing stinks......and the notion they are trying to sell it as ....... "simply a road" .....makes it stink even more.

13 minutes ago, bendejo said:

I get the impression this could be a test case for something much bigger.

Go back to that incident of the 1/6-types taking over a federal bird sanctuary a while back. The men-behind-the curtain there were the Koch Brothers. It's a grift to turn huge amounts of public land private, ultimately ending up in the hands of industry.

Pasted this post into AI, and this was in very the first line of its response.............

........this absolutely stinks,

So who owns Kingsbarn (interesting name?) and who is the chief investor?

3 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

So who owns Kingsbarn (interesting name?) and who is the chief investor?

Kingsbarn’s political donations

• Jeff Pori (Kingsbarn CEO and sole owner) has made regular donations to Trump and Republican committees.

• Federal Election Commission records show contributions to:

  • Trump’s 2024 campaign

  • The Republican National Committee

  • Trump‑aligned fundraising committees 

So the Yosemite deal is not being pushed by some neutral, apolitical investor—it’s coming from a Trump‑donor developer whose project is now a “priority” for the Interior Department.