U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has issued a temporary order halting all tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links following the abrupt felling of 430 trees over the weekend. During an emergency hearing Monday, Reyes rebuked Department of Justice attorneys for failing to provide adequate notice, declaring the government had lost credibility
with the court.
Judge Rebukes Federal Agency for Removing Trees
The legal standoff centers on the Trump administration’s efforts to renovate the historic Washington, D.C., public golf course. During Monday’s four-hour hearing, Judge Ana Reyes expressed disbelief that the National Park Service (NPS) removed hundreds of trees on Saturday despite her previous instructions to provide advance notice of substantive construction work. The judge, appointed by former President Joe Biden, repeatedly questioned government counsel on why the court was not informed until 4:55 p.m. on the Friday preceding a holiday weekend.
Reyes stated she had done everything humanly possible to give the government the benefit of the doubt in this case
and accused officials of failing to act in good faith. She specifically criticized the administration for what she described as a total loss to understand what has happened here,
suggesting the government may have “intentionally” implemented the plan to raze the course without providing sufficient time for judicial intervention.
In response to the administration’s actions, Reyes implemented a temporary block on further tree removal through Tuesday afternoon. She warned that if her order is violated, she would initiate contempt proceedings. Reyes noted she was beyond being upset and furious
and just disappointed with the government
for what she characterized as a potential effort to evade her earlier directives.
Tree Removal and the 2019 Cultural Landscape Report
The government maintains that the tree removal is part of a long-standing rehabilitation plan. Officials stated that 430 trees were removed over the weekend, with plaintiffs asserting the total reached 529. Another 99 trees have been flagged for potential removal, according to the Justice Department, though heavy rain reportedly interrupted the full scope of the operation on Sunday.
The Preservation League and two D.C.-area residents contend that the removal of healthy, mature oaks and maples causes irreversible harm to the historic grounds. Government lawyers argued that the current work was separate from the original legal challenge regarding the wider redevelopment of the site, but Reyes dismissed this as “double speak,noting it was
preposterous” to exclude the tree-removal plans from their court declarations.
Accountability and Future Testimony
Judge Reyes demanded clarity on the chain of command, specifically questioning why the tree-cutting operation accelerated rapidly last week. Frank Lands, the NPS deputy director of operations, testified that he authorized the plan on October 5 after a meeting with Greg Wischer, a political appointee who serves as the Interior Department’s deputy chief of staff. During his testimony, which he provided while calling in from a vehicle in a parking lot, Lands stated he was not aware of any specific urgency to complete the work over the holiday weekend.
When questioned about the costs of the project, neither Lands nor Griess could provide figures regarding the taxpayer expense. Griess noted that the operation involved 20 to 40 personnel who were reassigned from other beautification projects, funded by a surge workforce
account designated for the president’s initiatives. Reyes has ordered that Greg Wischer appear at a subsequent hearing to address his role in the decision-making process.
The judge is formalizing an order requiring the administration to provide 72 hours' notice of any future plans for the golf course, whether involving tree removal or other construction, while the case continues. She expressed a desire for clarity on whether the administration’s weekend maneuvers were a deliberate attempt to evade her previous orders issued earlier in the litigation.
