Judge halts East Potomac tree cutting after 400 removed

At Hains Point in Southwest DC, the National Park Service cut down more than 400 trees over the holiday weekend, government officials said during a Monday emergency hearing in federal court.

Judge Ana Reyes halted additional cutting until Tuesday at 2 p.m., a pause that matters to residents because East Potomac Golf Links is a public course and recreation area facing a nearly 500-tree clearing plan.

Court fight

The order came after the DC Preservation League filed an emergency motion just before midnight Monday seeking to stop more removal work at the golf course. The group is challenging the redevelopment in court.

Reyes said she was "furious" that the government did not give earlier notice of the work. The government filed notice late Friday afternoon, and crews had started operations by Saturday morning.

The judge also said she was "deeply disappointed" because she had trusted the government not to act quickly without notice. She is entering an order that requires at least three business days’ notice before any other major changes at the course.

Reyes heard testimony Monday from Frank Lands, deputy director of the National Park Service. Lands said Interior Department Deputy Chief of Staff Greg Wischer instructed him to start the work as safely and as quickly as practically possible.

Wischer was not reached Monday by the Justice Department or the Interior Department because of the holiday, and Reyes said she wanted him to testify. He is expected to appear Tuesday morning.

Course renovation

East Potomac Golf Links sits on federal parkland but functions as a neighborhood and regional recreation site for golfers, cyclists and other park users. The course is part of the Hains Point peninsula, with views of the Potomac River and central Washington.

The Interior Department in July released Fazio Design’s renovation plan for East Potomac Golf Links. The department framed the proposal as a refresh of a public course and cited the character of well-known public golf venues.

The redevelopment has drawn opposition from preservation and environmental advocates who argue the tree loss will change the park’s character and damage its canopy. The legal challenge contends that environmental review did not fully account for the loss of mature trees or effects on the surrounding waterfront ecosystem.

On Monday, cut trunks and stalled equipment were visible on the course, while other trees marked with yellow tape remained. A small group of protesters gathered near the entrance as logs accumulated near maintenance sheds.

Local users described the project as a tradeoff between upgrades and access. "It definitely wouldn't be good for it to turn into a country club or whatever they have said is happening, just because it wouldn't be as accessible," said Rosslyn resident John Diab. "I mean it's the closest thing around for me.

And then cutting down all the trees as well. All the trees look pretty mature now, and they make the course look pretty."

Annandale resident Matt Ramsey said the course needs work but remains useful as it is. "It is what it is," he said. "I am lukewarm on it.

It does need some upgrades, but it’s cheap, it’s easy to play on, and I like it how it is. So I’m not too thrilled about it."

What to watch

On Tuesday morning, Wischer is expected to testify about the instructions that led to the weekend tree removal.

At Tuesday at 2 p.m., Reyes’s order blocking further tree cutting is set to expire unless the court extends or changes it.

Before any other major changes at East Potomac Golf Links, the government must provide at least three business days’ notice under the order Reyes said she is entering.

Source: local television report and federal court hearing accounts, Washington, Oct. 12