Gallego, Colleagues Push to Stop Proposed Yosemite Land Transfer to Trump Donor

WASHINGTON — This week, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), and a bipartisan group of 152 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.” Read the full letter HERE .