Yosemite, again in corporate crosshairs

Reports suggest the Trump administration is considering transferring a small portion of Yosemite National Park to a private developer, raising concerns among park advocates and the public about the privatization of public land. The proposed deal involves a land swap: the government would give the developer a small area of park land to build a private access road between a proposed resort and the park. In exchange, the developer would purchase land of similar value near the park or elsewhere in California and transfer it to federal ownership. This deal has not yet been finalized, according to a government spokesperson. Environmental advocates and park staff have expressed worries for over a year that budget and staffing cuts to the National Park Service (NPS) could lead to further privatization of park land and business operations.

The debate over using public national park land for private profit dates back over a century. In 1864, a representative urged the U.S. government to preserve Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees to prevent them from falling into private hands. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act later that year, ceding the valley and grove to California with the condition that they be held for public use. However, private interests quickly became a point of contention. In the 1860s, two men, James Lamon and James Hutchings, had claimed land in the valley and started commercial operations, including farming and a hotel. California argued their businesses threatened the state’s ability to develop roads and trails, leading to a legal battle resolved by an 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated their land claims. The California legislature compensated both men, and they left the park.

Private companies under contract to the National Park Service have long provided amenities such as lodging and food within national parks, but the balance between profit and preservation has been a recurring issue. In 1925, the question arose over whether to allow the first gas station inside Yosemite Valley. Two private businesses, the Curry Camping Company and the Yosemite National Park Company, competed for tourist dollars and both wanted to build a gas station. The NPS director ordered them to merge, forming the Yosemite Park and Curry Company, which was granted exclusive rights to run lodges, restaurants, and other facilities, including the gas station. However, conflicts persisted, such as the development of Badger Pass Ski Area in the early 1930s, which the park service initially opposed but the company insisted was necessary to boost winter tourism.

In 1973, the Music Corporation of America (MCA), an entertainment conglomerate, bought the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. MCA’s ownership led to concerns about turning Yosemite into a theme park, though this did not happen. Instead, annual park visitor numbers increased from 2.5 million to 3.8 million over the 20 years MCA ran the concessions. Critics argued that MCA’s commercial operations, including three restaurants, two gas stations, two cafeterias, seven souvenir shops, and other facilities, contradicted the park service’s mandate to leave national parks unimpaired for future generations. In 1993, MCA sold the concessions rights to Delaware North Companies, which ran the park’s operations until 2016.

In 2016, Delaware North sold the concessions rights to Aramark but demanded $51 million in compensation for Aramark’s continued use of historic property names within the park, such as the Ahwahnee hotel and Curry Village. The park service rejected the claim, arguing the names belonged to the American people. To avoid legal issues, the NPS temporarily renamed the properties, including calling the Ahwahnee the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and Curry Village Half Dome Village. Public outrage followed, with critics viewing Delaware North’s claim as commercial overreach. In 2019, the park service and Aramark agreed to pay Delaware North a total of $12 million to settle the dispute, and the original names were restored.