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10/10 13:33 CDT Park service could remove more than 500 trees at historic golf
course Trump wants to redesign
Park service could remove more than 500 trees at historic golf course Trump
wants to redesign
By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press
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 proceeds with a plan 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 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 will be removed starting Saturday, with another 90 trees
slated for removal later, the agency said.
The tree removals come as President Donald Trump has moved to turn the course
into a world-class golf venue --- part of his grand vision for Washington,
D.C., 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 --- where Trump has
visited with a cabinet member, a well-known golf course architect and
blueprints --- risk altering the character of a place that has served
Washingtonians of all income levels for more than a century. Turning the park
into an upscale golf course will mean costlier fees and a likely loss of public
space.
"The National Park Service is finally implementing a 7-year-old plan to address
tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course,'' the Interior Department said in
a statement Saturday. The department oversees the park service and other
agencies that manage federal lands.
The renovation work 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 "recognizes 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
effort, although individual holes may temporarily close while work is underway,
the agency said.
The 106-year-old public course has been embroiled in a lawsuit since February.
Plaintiffs including the DC Preservation League say the Trump administration's
reconstruction would violate the congressional act that created the park in
1897. The group sought an emergency stop-work order this spring because of
concerns that work was expected to begin immediately on the course.
Trump, an avid golfer, has posted about the course on social media, "When
completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments,
including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA
Tour events," he wrote in late June.
It's unclear when the course could host any major tournaments, as locations are
chosen several years ahead of the events.
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