The wispy flow of Horsetail Fall is illuminated by the setting sun in Yosemite Valley, creating the firefall effect that draws a surge of visitors for the few weeks it can potentially occur every February, in 2025.
NATHANIEL LEVINE
Sacramento Bee file
Federal lawmakers from California are leading a bipartisan push, backed by nearly a third of Congress, to stop the federal administration from moving forward with a proposal to transfer public land in Yosemite National Park to a private developer.
In a letter sent Tuesday morning to the U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the lawmakers called the potential deal “extremely concerning” and an attempt to provide a private benefit “at the expense of land that belongs to all Americans.”
The proposal, first reported by the news outlet NOTUS last month, would involve transferring a roughly quarter-mile strip inside the western boundary of Yosemite to a company owned by the private equity firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital. The real estate group has confirmed that it is pursuing the land to build a new road to its 83-acre property just outside the park. The plan is reportedly backed by Interior Department’s top political leadership.
“This transaction does not seek to expand public access to Yosemite, improve visitor services, or address transportation deficiencies in park access,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “Rather, this land exchange seeks to merely cut down on driving time for a select few on private property. Any decision to relinquish public land to private ownership should be supported by a clear and compelling public benefit, not merely the economic interests of a private party.”
The letter, first shared with The Sacramento Bee, was signed by 157 federal lawmakers and spearheaded by California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla as well as House members Jim Costa and Jared Huffman. They are among local, state and federal elected officials who have condemned news of the potential deal at Yosemite, regarded as the crown jewel of the U.S. National Park system.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of 61 California legislators — led by Republican Assemblymember Greg Wallis — also sent a letter to Burgum.
A spokesperson National Parks Service, in a written statement, said “no final decision has been made” on Tuesday afternoon.
“The National Park Service is continuing to follow the established process for evaluating a potential land exchange,” the spokesperson added.
President Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the proposed deal. But last month, to mark the beginning of National Park Week, he released a statement that said “my administration is committed to protecting every acre of our lands and preserving the cleanest air and water in the world.”
The Tuesday letter references former President Theodore Roosevelt comments that “nothing in the world is more beautiful than the Yosemite” and notes that previous attempts for private access to Yosemite have been blocked by federal courts.
“Public lands belong in public hands,” the lawmakers wrote at the end of the letter. “Protection of public lands is a bipartisan issue, overwhelmingly supported by the American people from all walks of life.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2026 at 12:41 PM.
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Mathew Miranda is a political reporter for The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau, covering how decisions in Washington, D.C., affect the lives of Californians. He is a proud son of Salvadoran immigrants and earned degrees from Chico State and UC Berkeley.