Hundreds of trees face Trump golf redesign axe

WASHINGTON (AP):

The National Park Service has begun a new round of tree-cutting at a historic golf course near the National Mall as the Trump administration moves ahead with plans to renovate the East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course.

More than 500 trees “that do not contribute to the historic landscape will be removed” as part of the rehabilitation project, the National Park Service said in a court filing on Friday.

“No healthy trees that are contributing features of the historical golf course” – including historic cherry trees – will be removed as part of the project, the park service said.

A total of 169 trees began being removed yesterday, with another 90 slated for removal later, the agency said.

The removals come as President Donald Trump seeks to transform the course into a world-class golf venue as part of his broader vision for Washington, DC, where he has torn down storied structures, remade or renamed others, and deployed the National Guard for more than a year.

Some residents fear the planned changes to the golf course – which Trump has visited with a Cabinet member, a well-known golf course architect and blueprints in hand – could alter the character of a site that has served Washingtonians of all income levels for more than a century. Critics argue that turning the park into an upscale golf course could lead to higher fees and a loss of public space.

Seven-year-old plan

“The National Park Service is finally implementing a seven-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course,” the Interior Department said in a statement yesterday. The department oversees the park service and other agencies that manage federal lands.

The renovation will include selective tree and vegetation work to restore the course, the Interior Department said, adding that the work is intended to “help restore the course’s historic character and reopen views toward landmarks, including the Washington Monument, National War College, Potomac River and Washington Channel”.

The park service “recognises the importance of trees to the park and its visitors. This carefully planned work is part of our required stewardship of the park”, the statement said.

The golf course will remain open to the public throughout the renovation, although individual holes may temporarily close while work is under way, the agency said.

The 106-year-old public course has been embroiled in a lawsuit since February. Plaintiffs, including the DC Preservation League, argue that the Trump administration’s reconstruction plan would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The group sought an emergency stop-work order this spring, amid concerns that work on the course was about to begin.

Trump, an avid golfer, has promoted the project on social media.

“When completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments, including The US Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events,” he wrote in late June.

It remains unclear when the course could host any major tournaments, as venues are generally selected several years in advance.