Judge Extends Halt on Tree Removal at East Potomac Golf Links Amid Fight Over Historic Course Work
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U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes extended a temporary injunction blocking additional tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links through Oct. 26, after a dispute over the Trump administration’s course maintenance and redevelopment plans sparked a court showdown.
A federal judge has extended a temporary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from removing additional trees at East Potomac Golf Links, a municipal course in Washington, D.C. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, remains in effect until Oct. 26.
Reyes had previously required the government to obtain court permission before cutting down more than ten trees. On Friday, officials informed the court of a plan to remove up to 529 trees, and by the end of the day at least 430 had been cut down. The judge called an emergency hearing, during which she said the government’s actions had “cost the government all of its credibility with me in this case.”
"If that order is violated by two seconds, there are going to be contempt proceedings," Reyes warned.
Reyes also ordered senior officials from the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to testify at a hearing next Monday to explain the administration’s motives and the future of the historic course.
"The questions go to whether I've been lied to," Reyes said, referring to the administration’s statements about the project’s timing and notice.
The lawsuit was filed in February by the D.C. Preservation League and two residents who allege the redevelopment plan violates federal law. Democracy Forward’s president and CEO Skye Perryman called the project a “pet vanity project” and said it reflects a pattern of the Trump-Vance administration acting quickly to alter national landmarks.
Local advocates expressed concern that the redevelopment could restrict public access to the affordable course and surrounding recreational areas. Consultant Alex Rosen, who founded the nonprofit Save East Po, described the situation as “a broader story than just about golf” and criticized the lack of transparency.
A National Park Service filing described the tree-clearing as part of “deferred maintenance” and cited a 2019 report noting that historic tree planting had altered the course’s original 1920s design. The filing also mentioned a temporary increase in staff linked to the administration’s 250th-anniversary events.
The Interior Department, in a statement, said President Donald J. Trump is fulfilling his commitment to make D.C. “safe and beautiful.” However, plaintiffs argue the administration is using maintenance reports as a pretext to begin a larger redevelopment.
Reyes concluded that the plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm without injunctive relief and required the government to provide three business days’ written notice before making any further irreversible changes to the golf course.