Hazel Green Ranch and Yosemite National Park have a relationship stretching back to the 1800s. Now, a potential land transfer involving the 83-acre private property on Yosemite’s western boundary is raising new questions about handing over America’s public lands to private companies, fair access to Yosemite, and what it could mean for the future of federal lands.
In this episode of Policy Rx, The Rock Doc sits down with climber and former Yosemite Acting Deputy Superintendent Paul Stern to unpack the proposed Hazel Green land transfer and what’s actually at stake.
Drawing on his experience in Yosemite leadership and as a former Department of Justice attorney, Paul breaks down the long history behind Hazel Green, how a land exchange like this would work, the legal requirements it would have to meet, and why the possibility of granting a private development direct access to Yosemite has raised concerns about precedent. He also explains what happens next and where the public would have an opportunity to weigh in.
Plus, Paul shares how climbing has shaped a career that has taken him from litigating mass shooting cases for the Department of Justice to helping evacuate 137 Afghan women during the fall of Kabul, to Yosemite leadership. Paul’s new book, The Burden of Justice, describes how the problem-solving, perseverance, and trust he learned through climbing have carried into some of the most consequential moments of his career.
