Trump Administration Plans Yosemite Quarter-Mile Land Sale for Private Development
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 31
Trump Administration Plans Yosemite Quarter-Mile Land Sale for Private Development
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 31
Summary
A quarter-mile parcel on Yosemite National Park’s western edge is being targeted for sale, opening part of the park to private development despite Yosemite’s status as a flagship protected landscape.
The proposed disposal fits a broader push to shift public lands toward commercial use, with the report arguing the administration is prioritizing corporate profit over conservation and public access.
Park Service capacity is already under strain: staffing was cut 24% in 2025, and spending on projects outside Washington fell $854 million, or 68%, in the first eight and a half months of fiscal 2026.
That pressure extends beyond Yosemite, with the administration also backing drilling, mining and logging on other public lands, including moves affecting Chaco Canyon and Utah monuments Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.
The Yosemite plan sharpens a wider fight over whether US public lands remain protected for public use or are increasingly opened to private exploitation.