Politics
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum Vows No Presidio Sell-Off After Closed-Door Meeting
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters Thursday that the federal government will not sell any part of the 1,491-acre Presidio, seeking to calm fears sparked by his private meeting with the park's Trump-appointed board. The visit came months after President Trump fired six board members and installed allies atop the Presidio Trust.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum moved to tamp down fears Thursday that the Presidio National Park could be privatized, telling reporters outside a closed-door meeting with the park's board that the federal government has no plans to sell any portion of the 1,491-acre site.
"There will be no sell-off," Burgum said as he left the session and headed for an SUV. "We're not selling an acre of the Presidio."
The remarks followed a private meeting with the board of the Presidio Trust, the federal agency that manages the park within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The gathering had stirred anxiety among park advocates and local officials that the Trump administration might be weighing a sale or large-scale commercial development of the green space at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Burgum did not stay for the public portion of the meeting, but he praised the trust and hinted at broader ambitions for the property. Asked about additional development inside the park, he described "an exciting opportunity to do a better job of preserving and expanding the strong mission that's already here."
The reassurances come against a backdrop of political turbulence at the Presidio Trust. In May, President Donald Trump fired six members of the trust's board and replaced them with political allies, a move that alarmed preservationists and local leaders who viewed it as a potential prelude to commercial exploitation of public land.
The trust's board is appointed by the president, giving the White House direct influence over the agency's direction. Critics have warned that a board stacked with loyalists could open the door to privatization or development deals that prioritize private interests over public access and conservation.
For San Francisco, the Presidio is more than a park. The former military installation, converted to public use in the 1990s, draws millions of visitors annually and serves as a refuge of open space, trails, and historic architecture in a dense urban setting. Any hint of a sell-off touches a deep nerve in a city that has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over environmental and land-use policy.
Burgum's public comments may ease immediate concerns, but the closed nature of Thursday's meeting and the administration's recent board shake-up mean scrutiny is unlikely to fade. Park advocates say they will be watching closely for any proposals that could alter the Presidio's protected status or expand commercial activity within its boundaries.
The Interior Department has not released details of what was discussed behind closed doors. A request for comment from the Presidio Trust was not immediately returned.