A federal judge got an update Thursday at a hearing on the plan for the Trump administration’s major renovation at East Potomac Golf Course, and the public found out that a lot more trees have been taken down than anyone previously knew.
Earlier this week, Alex Rosen with the nonprofit Save East Po told WTOP in an interview that he estimated about 60 trees have been removed. However, Department of Justice attorney Michael Robertson told U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes at the hearing that, as of Tuesday, 150 trees have been taken down. Those trees fall into four categories: hazardous, dead, dying and invasive.
There was no information about whether any of the trees were cherry trees, which has been a major concern for the D.C. Preservation League and other groups that have filed a lawsuit to stop the renovation. So far, the Trump administration has said the tree removal is routine maintenance.
Judge Reyes opened the hearing saying, “Isn’t it ironic on the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation here we are yet again talking about a President chopping down cherry trees.”
The hearing also focused on the plaintiffs’ request for a notice of when construction will start. Attorneys representing those opposed to the project asked the judge to ensure the Trump Administration reveals in a timely manner what it plans to do. The concern was if the golf course renovation would occur like other Trump administration projects like the East Wing, which was torn down quickly.
Judge Reyes, reiterating what she’s said in previous hearings, “the administration’s plans are just plans until they are not, I don’t want to be here with this as a fait accompli.”
The judge suggested she could not get the administration to notify anyone if it planned not to follow the law, but said she understood that other projects have gone forward quickly and without much notice.
Robertson did say in court that the Trump administration is seeking approval for the project on several required fronts, such as the Fine Arts Commission, the National Capital Planning Commission, as well as going through historical and environmental reviews.
The judge could decide sometime this month whether to dismiss the lawsuit aimed at stopping the renovation.
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