More Than 500 Trees Felled at East Potomac Before Closure Deadline

More than 500 trees were cut down at East Potomac Golf Links over a single weekend, a figure that has anchored a contentious legal battle over the future of the Washington, D.C. course. The Department of the Interior is now preparing a formal plan to close the facility by November 15, according to senior Justice Department officials who spoke on Wednesday. This timeline follows two recent statements by President Donald Trump indicating that the historic course would shut temporarily next month to allow for a redesign.

The legal conflict began when a local preservation group and two individual golfers challenged the administration's actions. For months, officials maintained that no finalized proposal existed for a renovation, referring only to a possible project. That stance shifted earlier this month when Trump announced on Truth Social that Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio had developed a plan to build a world-class championship golf course. The president stated that the current course would close on November 15 to begin construction, with a new facility expected to open in approximately 15 months.

The administration's new position emerged after U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes moved to halt tree removal at the site. Reyes noted that the challengers argued the felling of the 500-plus trees was part of the broader redesign plan, and she agreed. On Monday, Reyes issued a decision barring the government from removing or damaging any trees at the site while the litigation continues. Her ruling followed a contentious hearing earlier in the month where Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward told the court that there was no plan to close the course, despite the president's public posts.

In a 70-page ruling, Reyes criticized the government's shifting narrative. She wrote that rarely has the Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president. The judge described the case as having started as a dispute over golf but becoming much more complex as it forces the court to reconcile presidential assertions with the sworn testimony of government employees. Reyes noted that the good walk spoiled by the initial focus has revealed deeper inconsistencies in the administration's approach.

The Justice Department has appealed Reyes' decision. A hearing is scheduled for either Friday or Monday to determine how the case will proceed in the coming days. The plaintiffs have not yet filed a motion asking Reyes to block the course closure and the subsequent overhaul. Associate Attorney General Woodward acknowledged the president's Truth Social posts in a recent court filing, stating that Interior is working through counsel to develop a plan to carry out that direction and will notify the court.

The course, which has been open to the public since 1920, faces a hard deadline under the proposed schedule. The administration cites safety, modernization, and aesthetic reasons for the overhaul. The closure plan requires that the site be ready for construction by mid-November, leaving little time for further legal maneuvering before the grounds are vacated.