Trump govt mulls deal to give away part of Yosemite park

President Donald Trump's administration is deliberating the possibility of granting a portion of the world-renowned Yosemite National Park to a private developer, according to a lawyer for the company. The National Park Service has been in discussions with Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based firm, to construct an access road from an 83-acre private property near the park's entrance to the park's main entrance, in exchange for another piece of land, as revealed by lawyer Lanny Davis.

The revelation, initially reported by NOTUS, has sparked widespread criticism from environmentalists and Democrats opposing the administration's plans to roll back public land protections, including proposals to reintroduce road construction and logging in national forests. Davis, who identifies as a progressive Democrat, argued that the road would shorten travel times to the park, thereby reducing emissions compared to the longer, unpaved routes currently used.

He emphasized that the proposed access road would be safer and produce significantly fewer vehicle emissions. The interior department had earlier confirmed that negotiations had taken place but dismissed claims of political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome. The National Parks Conservation Association, a conservation advocacy group, denounced the move as an unlawful assault on Yosemite, calling it a covert, behind-the-scenes deal aimed at undermining the park's protections.

The union representing NPS employees expressed outrage over the ceding of public lands for private interests, deeming the proposed trade antithetical to their stewardship of the park. Former owners of the property have previously attempted to develop a road through Yosemite but were unsuccessful, with the previous owner losing in court twice.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California, a vocal Trump critic, condemned the administration's intentions, stating that Yosemite is one of California's natural wonders that must be protected from further development.