White House Working to Trade a Portion of Yosemite to Private Developer

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a land swap that would give a private developer a small parcel inside Yosemite National Park so it can build a road linking its adjacent 83-acre property to a park thoroughfare, granting the site rare private access. In exchange, the developer—identified as Nevada-based Kingsbarn Realty Capital—would purchase land of equivalent value elsewhere in California and transfer it to the National Park Service, though no final decision has been made and the Interior Department says any such deal would follow federal review and public-notification processes. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from conservation groups and former officials, who warn it could set a precedent for privatizing access to one of the country’s most iconic parks. Gear Junkie