Padilla, Schiff, Costa, Huffman Lead Bipartisan Congressional Push to Stop Proposed Yosemite Land Transfer to Trump Donor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, along with U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, led a bipartisan group of 153 lawmakers in urging the Department of the Interior (DOI) to abandon a proposed transfer of federally managed public land within Yosemite National Park that would facilitate private access to and development of an 83-acre parcel adjacent to the park known as Hazel Green Ranch.

In their letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the lawmakers condemned recent reporting that indicated the Trump Administration is considering a proposal to exchange or convey an interest in an approximately quarter-mile strip of federally managed public land within Yosemite to facilitate access to private property owned by Kingsbarn, a company whose chief executive officer began making a series of donations to Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee in late 2024 - shortly after Kingsbarn acquired the Hazel Green Ranch property.

"At its core, this proposal appears to provide a private benefit at the expense of land that belongs to all Americans," wrote the lawmakers. "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 lawmakers also raised concerns about the Department's proposal to use Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) authority to facilitate the exchange. The letter noted that the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee did not agree to move forward with the project due to congressional objections.

"Public lands belong in public hands," concluded the lawmakers. "Protection of public lands is a bipartisan issue, overwhelmingly supported by the American people from all walks of life."

In addition to Padilla and Schiff, the letter was signed by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

In addition to Costa and Huffman, the letter was signed by Representatives Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-33), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.-03), Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Wesley Bell (D-Mont.-01), Ami Bera, (D-Calif.-06), Donald Beyer Jr. (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.-05), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), André Carson (D-Ind.-07), Ed Case (D-Hawaii-01), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.-14), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Gilbert Cisneros, Jr. (D-Calif.-31), J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.-46), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Sharice Davids (D-KS-03), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Maxine Dexter, (D-Ore.-03), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.-06), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.-04), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Ill.-04), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-34), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.-02), Adam Gray (D-Calif.-13), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07), Josh Harder (D-Calif.-09), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.-04), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Henry "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif. 37), Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-N.J.-07), William Keating (D-Mass.-09), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.-03), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio-01), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.-02), George Latimer (D-N.Y.-16), Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.-17), Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.-03), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.-02), John Mannion (D-N.Y.-22), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Sarah McBride (D-Del.-AL), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), James McGovern (D-Mass.-02), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06), Dave Min (D-Calif.-47), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.-03), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Richard Neal (D-Mass.-01), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.-01), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.-07), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.-07), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Emily Randall (D-Wash.-06), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.-29), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-Calif.-25), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Kim Schrier, (D-Wash.-08), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Adam Smith (D-Wash.-09), Darren Soto (D-Fla.-09), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.-04), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.-11), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.-10), Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio-13), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.-13), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.-03), Derek Tran (D-Calif.-45), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.-02), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.-43), and George Whitesides (D-Calif.-27).

Senator Padilla has been a longtime advocate of protecting Yosemite and national parks across the nation. In July, Padilla slammed the Trump Administration for eliminating the Yosemite reservation system, pressing DOI officials on their plans to ensure Yosemite's ability to manage wildfire risk, enhance visitor safety, and conserve natural resources. In 2025, Padilla introduced the Review and Evaluation of Strategies for Equal Reservations for Visitor Experiences (RESERVE) Federal Land Act to expand access to public lands, improve visitor experience, and enhance transparency of how fees are collected for federal lands and national parks.

Full letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Burgum:

Yosemite National Park is a cornerstone of the National Park System and is one of California's crown jewels. President Theodore Roosevelt once said that "nothing in the world is more beautiful than the Yosemite" and that our national parks should be "preserved" and "their majestic beauty all unmarred." Yosemite is a national treasure preserved for the benefit of the American people. Its continued beauty, status as a wildlife sanctuary, and source of enjoyment is contingent upon preservation and proper maintenance of its land-not parts being sold off to enrich nearby private property owners. We are extremely concerned that the Department of the Interior is considering selling off portions of the park to private development and we strongly oppose the proposed land transfer.

Recent reporting indicates that since early 2025, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service have been considering a proposal to exchange or convey an interest in an approximately quarter-mile strip of federally managed public land within Yosemite National Park to facilitate access to an 83-acre privately owned ranch. This is not the first time this property has sought to have private access to Yosemite, with federal courts blocking this right to access in both 2007 and 2012.2 Now that the ranch has a new owner, they are once again seeking to acquire this land to enhance the value of their property, and the political leadership at DOI is pressuring career staff to approve the exchange.

At its core, this proposal appears to provide a private benefit at the expense of land that belongs to all Americans. This transaction does not seek to expand public access to Yosemite, improve visitor services, or address transportation deficiencies in park access. 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.

We were alarmed that the Department submitted to Congress a proposal to use money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) authority to facilitate this exchange. That fund exists to acquire and protect public lands for the benefit of the American public-not sell them off to corporate developers. In response to the Department's request to fund this exchange through the LWCF, the Senate Interior Environment Appropriations Subcommittee did not agree to move forward on this project due to our objection.

Further, in response to inquiries from Congress, the Department indicated that it has not identified any land to be exchanged for the parcel of Yosemite National Park that the Department is seeking to sell to the private developer. This gives further credence to the notion that this exchange is not being done in the public interest, but rather solely to benefit a private developer. In its justification for the LWCF proposal, the Department indicated that this exchange was a "priority," while providing no compelling explanation for why it was in the interest of the United States to pursue this exchange. Instead, when explaining the need for the project, the Department simply stated that the private landowner requested an interest in federally owned property within the national park.

Public lands belong in public hands. Protection of public lands is a bipartisan issue, overwhelmingly supported by the American people from all walks of life. We oppose any effort to privatize, sell off, give away, or otherwise undermine the continued existence of public lands, in Yosemite or across the country. We ask that you honor congressional objections and abandon this effort to sell off a piece of Yosemite National Park.

Sincerely,

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