The unprecedented move would be the first time the federal government has given national park land to private developers.
For over a year, the Trump administration has been trying to give a roughly quarter-mile strip of land inside Yosemite to investment firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital, according to documents obtained by NOTUS. If successful, the give would be the first time in American history that the federal government has given national park land to a private developer.
The federal government has rejected Kingsbarn Realty Capital’s request for the land for the past two decades. The company owns 83 acres of land just outside of Yosemite, and is looking to build an access road that connects its property directly to one of Yosemite’s central thoroughfares.
“Officials are proposing the Park Service give up the land or “interest” in the land in the form of an easement, and in return receive land of equal value somewhere in California that has yet to be decided,” writes Anna Kramer for NOTUS.
According to NOTUS’ sources, Kingsbarn’s proposal is supported by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Read the full story: Trump’s Quietly Working to Give Part of Yosemite to a Private Developer
President's Record on Conservation Criticized
President Trump has weakened protections for 35 million acres of public land, despite repeating his intentions to surpass the model for conservation set by President Teddy Roosevelt.
Op-Ed: Feds 'Obsessed' with Undermining National Monument
Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under severe assault from the Trump administration, Stephen Trimble writes. Long the focus of preservation efforts, the protected land is being opened up for extractive uses.
'Unprecedented' Sale of Public Land Concerns 'Even Some Republicans'
As the Department of the Interior auctions off 'vast swaths' of American wilderness to oil and gas companies, fiscal conservatives and conservationists alike wonder if it’s the right thing at the right time.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
Chicago's streets are littered with dead birds. Will the city protect them?
Chicago sits in the route of migratory birds traveling south. Its abundance of glass buildings and bright lights make it particularly disorienting for the animals.
CA city to shut down airport, transform it into utopian park
The western side of the 200-acre park will feature a dog park, nature education center and arboretum.
NYC to vote on supporting outdoor dining, streamlining bus and bike lane creation
The city has five proposed amendments to its municipal constitution on the ballot this November.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority