Trump Officials Push NPS to Hand Yosemite Strip to Private Developer

The Trump administration is pressuring the National Park Service to cede a slice of Yosemite National Park to a private real estate developer, according to a report from NOTUS that has since ricocheted across major outlets. The proposal would hand over a quarter-mile strip of federal parkland, unlocking road access and, potentially, the value of an 83-acre adjacent parcel.

What is actually being proposed

For more than a year, the National Park Service has been quietly working to fulfill an unprecedented directive from Trump officials: parcel off a corner of Yosemite National Park to give to a private developer.

NPS staff in California and Washington are trying to arrange a land exchange between a Nevada-based company and the federal government, according to four people directly familiar with discussions and agency documents reviewed by NOTUS. Under the rules that govern public lands, any land that the Park Service chooses to surrender must be replaced by land of equivalent value.

Who is the developer

The property at the center of the dispute is an 83-acre parcel owned by Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a real estate investment and development company. Its CEO, Jeff Pori, has public business ties to people in Trump’s orbit, according to NOTUS.

The property sits near one of Yosemite’s most famous attractions: the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The proposed private road would cross National Park Service land and connect the 83-acre property to an existing road inside Yosemite, providing much easier access to the park.

It is not known whether the company wants to build a private residence, a hotel, a resort, or something else with its 83 acres, but it would be a 90-minute drive to the Yosemite Valley without another road.

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Interior pushback and political backlash

“This story relies on anonymous allegations to manufacture a political narrative that simply is not true,” the department said in a statement. It added that there has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome and that claims the department is secretly working to hand over NPS land are false.

California political leaders and environmental organizations quickly responded, vowing to fight the deal. Sen. Alex Padilla posted “Yosemite is not for sale,” while Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, said the parks do not belong to private developers.

Insiders told NOTUS the deal would award a sliver of the park to a developer to pave a private road that would likely spike the value of the developer’s nearby property.

Why this matters for markets

Land exchanges involving national parks are rare, and one driven by a private developer is rarer still. If the deal moves forward, it would set a precedent for public-to-private land transfers that could ripple into REIT and hospitality development strategies near federal lands.

If it stalls or gets blocked in court, expect a drawn-out fight involving the Interior Department, California’s congressional delegation, and environmental groups, all of which have signaled they are ready to litigate.

Options market and stocks to watch

There is no publicly traded pure-play here, but adjacent names could see attention as the story develops:

• HST (Host Hotels & Resorts): watch for read-through on hospitality developers near protected federal lands.
• MAR (Marriott): watch for any commentary on national-park-adjacent resort projects.
• H (Hyatt): watch if resort-style buildout on the 83-acre parcel is disclosed.
• VAC (Marriott Vacations Worldwide): watch for timeshare or resort exposure to gateway-town development.

For more coverage on policy shifts affecting public lands and travel, see other news from Unusual Whales.

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