Judge addresses tree removal controversy at DC golf course renovation

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes presided over a status conference on Thursday concerning the renovation of East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C. The hearing, which was originally scheduled to discuss case scheduling, became focused on the removal of roughly 150 trees—77 classified as invasive and 73 as dead, dying or hazardous—by the National Park Service.

Reyes remarked that the timing was ironic given the nation’s 250th anniversary and referenced the myth of George Washington chopping down cherry trees. She said she had received threats, including one that warned she would be removed if she did not "save the trees," and added, "> I am not the Lorax, I am a judge."

The Department of the Interior explained that tree removal is a routine safety measure, stating that arborists remove trees that are determined to be dying, declining or hazardous. Plaintiffs initially questioned the justification for the cuts but later withdrew their objections, accepting the government’s rationale.

The case, brought by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers, seeks an order to halt the Trump administration’s plan to expand the municipal course into a championship-level facility. Reyes, a Biden appointee, has previously declined to block the work, noting she has not seen a violation of law. She expressed willingness to consider any motion to dismiss filed by the government and indicated she would act promptly on such a request.

The administration, citing recent Supreme Court decisions, has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed. Instead, the court allowed the challengers to amend their complaint to reflect those rulings. Reyes said she is satisfied with the government’s reporting on the project but cautioned against a "fait accompli" where irreversible actions occur without judicial oversight.

President Donald Trump proposed the redevelopment in May, envisioning a single 18-hole course on the 300-acre peninsula. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum released renderings from design firm Fazio Design, and Trump described the existing facilities as "dilapidated, worn out, and very dangerous and outdated." The plan has not yet been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission or the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the agencies that review major changes to federal property.