Judge extends tree removal ban at East Potomac Golf Links
A federal judge barred further tree removal or damage at the Washington golf course and required advance notice before certain irreversible changes while a lawsuit proceeds.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a longer-term injunction on October 26 barring the Trump administration from removing or damaging more trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, NBC News reported. The order keeps the trees protected while a lawsuit over plans to renovate the course proceeds, following the removal of hundreds of trees earlier this month.
According to NBC News, the administration must also give written notice 10 business days before making any ‘irreparable modification’ to forms or features of East Potomac Park. CBS News reported that the 70-page preliminary injunction replaced an earlier pause on tree removal that was due to expire Monday. The notice requirement concerns changes to the park beyond cutting or damaging trees.
Why Judge Reyes extended the tree removal ban
Reyes said the government had done what it assured the court it would not do when it cut down trees on the course, CBS News reported. The outlet said her ruling described nearly 430 trees being removed in one day, with rain delaying further removal. At a hearing earlier in October, Reyes said she had found that the government acted in ‘bad faith’ over the holiday weekend cutting, according to NBC News.
NBC News reported that Reyes also cited President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts as conflicting with sworn testimony from government employees and arguments made by Justice Department lawyers. Trump said on October 18 that work on a planned championship course would begin November 15, then said on October 19 that it would begin ‘IMMEDIATELY!’ Reyes wrote that the court had to reconcile the president’s assertions with the government’s account.
The lawsuit over East Potomac Golf Links
Trump has proposed turning the course beside the Potomac River into what he called a ‘World Class Championship Golf Course,’ CBS News reported. The D.C. Preservation League is challenging the renovation plan. CBS News said Reyes found the group likely to succeed in showing that the plans violate a legal requirement for an environmental review. That finding supports the preliminary injunction while the lawsuit continues; it does not settle the case.
Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman, whose organization represents the plaintiffs, praised the October 26 ruling, NBC News reported. The order restricts further tree removal as the court considers the challenge, while requiring advance notice of other irreversible changes to the park. The eventual renovation and the outcome of the lawsuit remain unresolved.
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Sources and context
- Judge further extends block on Trump administration’s removing trees at D.C. golf courseNBC News
- Judge continues to block Trump admin. from cutting down trees at D.C. golf course, confirms she's still "not the Lorax"CBS News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.