Judge Ana Reyes orders 24-hour halt to tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes halted further tree removal at the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., for 24 hours during an emergency Zoom hearing on Monday, after the Trump administration cut down 430 trees over the weekend. “I have no faith that the government is not going to cut them down unless there’s an order in place not to do so,” Reyes stated, adding, “Now we’re all going to have a massive fire drill because the government can’t be trusted.”
Court Order Ignored Ahead of Holiday Weekend
The conflict erupted after the Department of the Interior took control of the historic municipal golf course late last year. Judge Reyes had previously issued a direct court order instructing the agency to provide advance notice of any substantive construction work, specifically requiring warning before felling 10 or more trees. At 4:55 p.m. on Friday, the government submitted notice to the court and the plaintiff, the DC Preservation League, detailing upcoming tree removal. However, work began mere hours later before the court or dissenting parties could respond.
According to the government, 430 trees were ultimately removed over the weekend, falling short of an initial plan to clear 529 trees from an area known as “Trash Island” due to heavy rain interference. Government lawyers stated the goal was to improve safety and restore the original 1920s-era design by architect Walter Travis, which was mostly treeless. Preservationists and critics quickly challenged this rationale, noting that modern designer Tom Fazio’s preliminary renovation plans bear little resemblance to Travis’s original layout.
Judge Reyes Rebukes Government Counsel for Poor Conduct
During the three-hour Monday holiday hearing, Judge Reyes expressed intense frustration with the Department of Justice and the National Park Service. When Justice Department lawyer Marissa Piropato argued that the government had done its best to notify the court, Reyes shot back, You did not do your best. You did your absolute worst.
Reflecting on the tone of the session, Meidas Touch reporter Scott MacFarlane noted on X, I’ve never heard a judge scream at full voice at a lawyer before. Not like this.
Regarding the government’s conduct, Judge Reyes remarked, I am just beyond disappointed in the government.
The hearing involved intense questioning of administration officials regarding who authorized the swift weekend clearing. When brought onto the call, Lands stated that Greg Wischer, the Interior Department’s deputy chief of staff for policy, directed him to proceed. Griess defended the timeline by pointing to a 2019 National Park Service document called the Cultural Landscape Report, arguing the removal recommendations predated current 2026 renovation plans. Plaintiffs countered in court filings that linking the urgent tree-clearing to historic preservation strains plausibility given the administration’s push to overhaul the property. They argued, Viewed in light of Defendants’ acknowledgment that they are working quickly to fulfill President Trump’s direction to fundamentally overhaul the courses at East Potomac, it strains plausibility that the ongoing tree-clearing is principally motivated by the CLR’s recommendations to ‘preserv[e] [the courses’] historic character.
Outside Observers and Next Steps in the Litigation
The weekend action shocked local golf and agronomy professionals. Timothy Zurybida, director of agronomy for the National Links Trust—the non-profit that held a 50-year lease on East Potomac, Langston, and Rock Creek before the Trump administration terminated it in December—described inspecting the site on Saturday. There was nothing that could have prepared me for my afternoon drive around East Potomac Golf Links,
Zurybida wrote on social media, characterizing the operation as a rapid clearing effort. The administration’s broader ambitions for the site remain clear, with officials previously noting, We’re going to build the best golf course — the equivalent to the Aronominks and the Quail Hollows and the Shinnecocks.
Judge Reyes ordered Greg Wischer to appear for testimony on Tuesday to clarify the decision-making timeline and whether the court was intentionally misled regarding notice. The temporary 24-hour halt on tree removal remains in place and could be extended up to 14 days as the court weighs further legal action.
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