A federal judge on Oct. 13 blocked the Trump administration from cutting down more trees at a Washington golf course, as litigation continues over plans to renovate the public golf course.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also ordered the government to give the court and plaintiffs three business days’ written notice before making any irreversible modifications to permanent structures or features at East Potomac Golf Links.
The temporary restraining order comes a day after the judge issued a similar order prohibiting the felling of trees at the public golf course through Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
She initially issued an order prohibiting the removal of trees through Oct. 13 at 7 a.m., but extended the time period during an Oct. 12 emergency hearing.
The dispute centers on the Interior Department’s renovation of East Potomac Golf Links.
The DC Preservation League and golfers Alex Dickson and Dave Roberts sued the administration, arguing that the project violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed actions before making final decisions.
The lawsuit alleges that soil and debris from the White House East Wing demolition—including wires, pipes, bricks, and other materials—were dumped on portions of East Potomac Golf Links without the required environmental review.
Reyes said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in demonstrating that the administration violated NEPA.
She also found that they had shown they would likely suffer irreparable harm if the court did not block further changes to the historic property.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Interior Department and National Park Service for comment on Reyes’s latest order.
During the Oct. 12 hearing, Reyes excoriated the Justice Department for providing insufficient advance notice of the Oct. 10 tree felling at East Potomac Golf Links.
The administration waited until almost 5 p.m. to give the court and plaintiffs notice of the then-planned removal.
In May, Reyes ordered the administration to notify the court and plaintiffs if more than 10 trees were to be removed.
The plaintiffs told the court that 529 trees were cut down at the golf course on Oct. 10. The administration said it removed 430 trees.
Reyes said she was “furious” at the Justice Department, which she said “lost all credibility” by not notifying her sooner of the removal.
Justice Department lawyer Marissa Piropato said the department was made aware on Oct. 8 that the tree removal might happen but did not definitely learn about it until late on Oct. 8 or early Oct. 9.
Asked about the delay, Piropato said the Justice Department was getting details and wanted to make a filing. Reyes said it should have called the court.
When Piropato said the department did its best to inform the court and plaintiffs, Reyes responded, “You did not do your best; you did your absolute worst.”
At the hearing, the judge extended the temporary order she issued before the hearing.
She threatened contempt proceedings if the Trump administration violated the temporary order.
The Department of the Interior and the National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment on the order by the time of publication.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller criticized Reyes for her reaction.
“I missed the part of the Constitutional Convention that put federal judges in charge of golf course maintenance,” he posted on X.
“The left is endlessly enraged that, after allowing DC to decay for decades, the Trump administration is making it safe, clean, and beautiful.”
On Oct. 11, the plaintiffs requested a 14-day temporary halt of the maintenance at East Potomac Golf Links. They called removal of the trees “irreversible damage.”
Without halting the felling of trees, the Trump administration “will further alter permanently the land, landscape, trees, setting, and other elements of the human environment in both visible and unseeable ways,” the plaintiffs wrote.
Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, testified that authorization for the tree removal was sent on Oct. 6, three days before the plaintiffs and court were notified.
Griess acknowledged that conversations about tree cutting began in late September. He also said the tree removal is part of a 2019 plan that precedes Trump’s plans for the course.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 19.
Gregory Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department, and Jessica Bowron, acting director of the National Park Service, have been ordered to appear at the hearing.
Reyes could extend the block on the administration removing trees at East Potomac Golf Links.
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