1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to immediately investigate the Trump administration's proposal to transfer Yosemite National Park land to Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Las Vegas-based developer with troubling connections to Trump administration officials. Yosemite is irreplaceable and belongs to all Americans. This proposal would fragment one of our nation's greatest natural treasures for private profit. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum promised during his confirmation hearing that he would "support and protect every single inch" of our national parks. This proposal directly violates that commitment, and I demand you contact him immediately to hold him accountable. More disturbing is the pattern of favoritism that suggests a quid pro quo. Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori's company has worked with the Newmark Group, chaired by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Hankey Capital, whose chair Don Hankey underwrote Trump's $175 million bond. Internal Park Service communications reveal "unprecedented" political pressure from Interior Department leadership to move this deal forward in an unusually secretive manner. The property's isolation suggests its true value lies in the private access to the park that a new road would create, not in the land itself. This arrangement reeks of self-dealing and favoritism. A full congressional investigation is essential to determine whether Kingsbarn is being rewarded for its Trump administration connections. Beyond the corruption concerns, the ecological damage is irreversible. More roads mean degraded water quality, fragmented wildlife habitat, and increased wildfire risk in an era of climate crisis. We should be expanding protected wilderness, not sacrificing it. I urge you to launch an investigation into whether this constitutes a quid pro quo, contact Secretary Burgum to demand he honor his confirmation promises, publicly oppose this proposal, and require full transparency of all communications between Interior Department officials and Kingsbarn representatives.