Yosemite National Park Sierra Sun Times file photo
September 13, 2026 - On Friday, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks released the following:
Coalition board member and former Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher spoke with ABC News about the proposed transfer of parkland to a private developer.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a land exchange that could provide Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based developer, with a narrow strip of land or an easement through Yosemite National Park. The company owns an adjoining 83-acre property and wants to build a private access road connecting it to Highway 120.
Neubacher warned that transferring national park property for the benefit of a private development could violate federal law and establish a dangerous precedent for America’s protected public lands.
The Department of the Interior says no final decision has been made, disputes allegations of political pressure and maintains that any proposal would be subject to applicable legal and environmental reviews.
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 5,100 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 50,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org.
Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks