Overview
- Reports published over the weekend say the National Park Service has been quietly negotiating with Kingsbarn Realty Capital to transfer access rights or a narrow strip of park land about 400 meters long to let the company build a private road to its adjacent property.
- The Department of the Interior and the Park Service say no final decision has been made and that any exchange or easement would have to follow federal law, include a National Environmental Policy Act review, and involve public notice.
- Kingsbarn’s lawyer argues the road would shorten travel, reduce emissions from longer routes, and that a land swap is provided for in federal law, while the company plans luxury development on the 83-acre parcel it bought in 2024.
- California Democrats, conservation groups and the Yosemite employees’ union have denounced the plan, cited possible political influence tied to donor records linked to Kingsbarn’s CEO, and warned they will pursue public and legal opposition.
- Similar access proposals for the same area were rejected by past administrations and by courts, so any move to approve a swap or easement now would face extensive review and high odds of litigation.