A federal judge has extended a temporary halt on tree removal at the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C., following the discovery that hundreds of trees were cut down over a holiday weekend without proper notice to the court. U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued the order on Monday, barring the Trump administration from removing any additional trees at the site until October 26, and requiring three business days' written notice before any irreversible changes to the property.
The East Potomac Golf Course, a federally owned municipal course, has become the focus of a legal dispute after the Trump administration initiated plans to redevelop it into a championship-level golf facility. The administration contends that recent tree-cutting efforts are part of fulfilling a 2019 historical restoration plan, while opponents argue the work is part of a broader redevelopment that should have undergone more extensive environmental and historic preservation reviews.
Late Friday prior to the weekend, the Justice Department disclosed in a court filing that the Interior Department was preparing to cut down more than 500 trees throughout the golf course. Despite previous court warnings to notify the judge in advance of any major alterations, crews began cutting early Saturday and had removed at least 400 trees by the end of the day.
Two Washington residents and a preservationist group filed a lawsuit earlier this year challenging the administration’s redevelopment plans, arguing they threaten the affordability and character of the municipal course. During a hearing on Monday, Judge Reyes expressed frustration over the Justice Department’s failure to provide timely notice and demanded explanations for how the weekend’s tree removal proceeded despite court orders. She questioned whether she had been misled regarding the timing and scope of the work.
The judge pressed the government to identify who authorized the tree cutting and ordered two senior officials to appear at a future hearing. Those officials are Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the National Park Service, and Gregory Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department. During the hearing, a Justice Department lawyer attempted to reach Wischer without success, leading Reyes to schedule their testimony for October 19.
Authorities representing the government have maintained that the tree cutting constitutes a separate, approved historical project rather than part of President Trump’s proposed redesign. Nevertheless, Reyes indicated she no longer trusted government assurances that meaningful notice would be given before permanent changes.
Judge Reyes warned that any further violations of the court’s orders could result in contempt proceedings. She emphasized the importance of transparency and full disclosure as this legal dispute continues to unfold, underscoring the broader tension over the future of the East Potomac Golf Course and its historic value.