A federal judge has extended the halt on tree cutting at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links until October 26, after a bruising hearing in which she accused the Trump administration of acting in bad faith over a holiday-weekend logging spree.
US District Judge Ana Reyes told a lengthy Monday hearing she did not believe the administration’s claim that clearing more than 400 trees had nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s renovation plans. “There is no universe in which all of this coincidentally happened all at the same time,” Reyes said, according to reports.
Trees fell over the holiday weekend
Reyes last week ordered a halt to redevelopment plans after scolding the government for starting large-scale tree removal over the Columbus Day holiday weekend while giving little notice to the court or the plaintiffs trying to stop the makeover, according to reports. The National Park Service filed its court notification only minutes before the close of business on October 9, and now estimates about 729 trees could ultimately be removed.
The plaintiffs, the DC Preservation League and two golfers, say the work is inflicting irreversible damage and would violate the congressional act that created the park. They have asked Reyes to extend the pause further.
Trump vows to start immediately
On Sunday, Trump announced on social media that the 106-year-old course would close for 15 months starting November 15 for redevelopment by “famed Golf Course Architect” Tom Fazio into a “World Class Championship Golf Course”, according to reports. In a post on Monday morning, he escalated: “Work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY!”
The Justice Department had already filed a motion on October 16 seeking to disqualify Reyes, accusing her of bias and “animus” toward the administration, according to reports. The dispute has become the latest flashpoint in Trump’s campaign to leave his personal imprint on the nation’s capital.
