What Happened to the Cherry Trees at East Potomac Golf Links?
Summary: This article explains the reported timeline of tree removals at East Potomac Golf Links, the court order tied to them, and the preservation fight over a golf course overhaul.
A Historic Park, Suddenly Smaller
East Potomac Golf Links has stood for more than a century. It opened in 1919 and was expanded two years later, designed by Walter J. Travis. In 1941, the course became an early flashpoint in the integration of D.C.'s public spaces. Its parkland has also been home to cherry trees since the early 1900s. Japan originally gifted those trees in 1910; after the first shipment was found to have infestation problems, trees were planted in East Potomac Park.
In late August 2026, workers were seen cutting trees there for days. Beltway Golfer Magazine reported that a cherry tree near the 14th hole was cut down, and described it as healthy. The Washington Post counted more than 60 trees that appeared to have been removed.
What the Court Asked For
The removals were not a surprise to the federal government. The Interior Department awarded Ross Tree Expert Company a $349,000 contract for tree and stump removal at East Potomac Park, scheduled from Aug. 19 to early October. The department described the work as "routine maintenance" aimed at hazard trees, non-native invasive trees, and declining or dying trees. The National Park Service used similar language.
But a federal judge had already set a condition. Judge Ana C. Reyes told the government to notify the court before removing more than 10 trees. Whether that notification happened before the recent removals is unclear. According to a source familiar with the litigation, the government also refused to negotiate a notification schedule proposed by the plaintiffs.
The Lawsuit That Set the Limits
The case predates the sound of chainsaws. In February 2026, two golfers and the D.C. Preservation League filed a lawsuit claiming the Trump administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act by moving forward without an environmental study. The group's filing says the planned work will "irrevocably and significantly harm the quality of the human environment, affect historic property, violate NPS's conservation mandate, and thwart East Potomac Park's purpose as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people."
The suit relies on more than policy. Preservationists argue the renovations threaten the park's protection under an 1897 Congressional Act, which preserved the land for public recreation.
Why the Timing Matters
President Trump announced in late June 2026, via social media, that work on the golf course would begin Sept. 1. He described it as "one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World." Architectural plans obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times reportedly suggested expansions that would push into historic cherry tree areas. The tree removals started before that target date and before a judge could rule on the merits of the challenge.
What remains unknown is the full inventory of removed trees and the legal consequences. Not every cut tree was a cherry tree; the Interior Department says many were hazardous or invasive. That explanation, however, did not settle the dispute. The court has not issued a final ruling in the NEPA case, based on the reporting available, and the notification issue remains unresolved. A park with roots in D.C.'s history has become a test case for whether those rules will be enforced before the trees fall.