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Judge Ana C. Reyes Orders Interior Department To Halt East Potomac Tree Cutting
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Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered a temporary halt on all tree removal at East Potomac. Hundreds of trees had already been cut over the weekend.
Judge orders halt
U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered the Interior Department to temporarily stop cutting down trees at East Potomac Golf Course and explain why officials felled hundreds of trees over the weekend.
Reyes said she was “thoroughly unamused” that officials gave notice at 4:55 p.m. Friday, minutes before courts closed for the holiday weekend, that the National Park Service would begin razing trees the next day.
Reyes said, “I do not know how I could have made it any plainer I did not want what happened to happen,” and she added that the incident had “cost the government all of its credibility” in the case.
The D.C. Preservation League asked the judge to stop the tree removal, and the group said the Trump administration felled hundreds of trees including healthy mature oaks and maples.
Kevin Griess told the court the trees did not contribute to the historic landscape and were being removed as part of an older rehabilitation project, and he said, “No healthy trees that are contributing to the historical golf course (such as healthy, historic cherry trees) will be removed as part of this project.”
Notice, numbers, and testimony
The dispute centered on how much tree cutting occurred and how quickly the government told the court, with the D.C. Preservation League filing saying crews moved “faster than anticipated” and removed all 529 trees on the National Park Service’s original list in a single day.
The Washington Post said the plaintiffs told the judge they were informed the operation had proceeded “faster than anticipated” and exhausted the original list of 529 trees in a single day, while the plaintiffs said only Sunday’s rain prevented more trees from coming down.
The National Park Service later told the court that approximately 430 trees have been cut down so far, and it said there are plans to cut around 299 more.
Reyes ordered National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Kevin Griess to testify under oath in U.S. District Court in D.C. about the removal of 430 trees Saturday, including who ordered the removal and when he received the order.
Reyes said at the start of the hearing, “I am thoroughly unamused right now,” and she added that she had received threats including one person who she said threatened to remove her if she didn’t “save the trees.”
What comes next
The court fight continued as the Trump administration pushed ahead with a plan to renovate East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course, and the tree clearing became the latest focal point in the litigation.
“NPS recognizes the importance of trees to the park and its visitors.”
The New Republic said Reyes blocked the plan to cut down hundreds of trees at the historic East Potomac Golf Links after the agency cut down dozens of trees over the weekend, and it described the tree clearing as part of a plan to transform the public golf course into an exclusive, high-end one.
The Washington Post reported that Reyes halted all tree removal until 7 a.m. Tuesday or until she issues another order, and she scheduled a hearing for Monday morning on the plaintiffs’ request for a 14-day restraining order.
The Washington Post quoted Reyes writing that “The removal of hundreds of trees from East Potomac Golf Course is permanent,” while a brief delay would cause the government little harm.
The Interior Department spokesperson said, “NPS recognizes the importance of trees to the park and its visitors,” and the statement said the work was “This carefully planned work is part of our required stewardship of the park.”