Overview
- Kingsbarn Realty Capital, which bought an 83-acre parcel just outside Yosemite’s western boundary, confirmed Wednesday that it is pursuing a land exchange to create a short access road from Highway 120 to its property.
- The Interior Department says no final decision has been made and that any concrete proposal would require federal appraisals, a National Environmental Policy Act review, public comment, and could need congressional notification or approval.
- A bipartisan group of 61 California state legislators sent a formal letter on Wednesday urging Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to halt and reject the swap, arguing the move would commercialize park land and violate Yosemite’s founding purpose.
- Park staff, retired superintendents and conservation groups warned the proposal would set a precedent for private development inside national parks and raised alarms about the Park Service’s capacity after recent layoffs and reorganization pressures.
- The administration placed the Yosemite swap on a list of possible Land and Water Conservation Fund transactions earlier this year, but Congress has not advanced it, making further reviews, public comment and likely litigation the next steps.