WASHINGTON – A judge told the US government on Monday not to cut down more than 10 trees without giving notice amid a legal dispute over a Washington golf course that President Donald Trump plans to renovate.
US District Court Judge Ana Reyes said during a remote hearing that she will not issue a temporary restraining order in the case brought by the DC Preservation League. He also told the National Park Service that they should first discuss with government lawyers about any plans if they are going to cut down more than 10 trees.
Monday’s hearing came after the plaintiff’s urgent request to stop work on the course, citing news reports that major repairs would begin on Monday.
Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks for the Park Service, said during the hearing that there is no plan to start the project on Monday but added that safety is still being considered.
Reyes told the groups that he did not want to play the part of the Parks and Rec department, which is a sitcom, but he said that he did not want the trees to be raped.
“I’m not Amy Poehler,” she said of the show’s star.
At one point during Monday’s hearing, the judge said he was informed there were closed signs in the area, prompting Griess to ask someone to check. He later reported that there were no such symptoms. Reyes asked that if there are signs like these found, the government attorney should be told.
The complaint filed with the Department of the Interior says the Trump administration’s redevelopment of East Potomac Park, including the East Potomac Golf Course, would violate the act of congress that created the park in 1897. The nearly 130-year-old act founded the park for “fun and entertainment.” The course itself was opened in 1919.
Trump, an avid golfer, also plans to renovate a military golf course outside Washington that has been used by past presidents going back decades.
