Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Closure of East Potomac Park

Court ruling

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its golf course in Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the Trump administration cannot close the park, but said the administration was not required to actively manage either the park or the golf course.

Her order will last until Nov. 28.

In her 30-page order, Judge Reyes said the golf courses, paths and picnic areas in the park must remain "open and accessible to the public."

Background

President Trump announced that East Potomac Park would close Nov. 15 to allow work on a new design by golf course architect Tom Fazio to begin, with the renovated "world-class, championship course" expected to open in roughly 15 months.

The dispute escalated last month when the National Park Service notified the judge that it would be removing trees on the course and went on to cut down more than 500 trees in the span of a weekend. Reyes then issued an order blocking the Trump administration from felling any additional trees.

A preservationist organization and local golfers sued in February, arguing that the project threatened to destroy a historic course that remained a cheap and accessible option for recreational players.

Government position

The Trump administration argued that the entirety of the park had to be closed because of a deteriorating sea wall, safety risks at the golf course, and because the organization that was overseeing the course, the National Links Trust, would cease operating it as of Nov. 15.

There is no plan currently in place to fix the sea wall, according to the National Park Service. The new sea wall is expected to cost more than $300 million and take at least two-and-a-half years to complete, according to a proposal for the new golf course that the National Park Service submitted to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts last week.

In a court hearing Friday, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said he "would be shocked to learn there is a contract" with Fazio or any affiliated entities finalizing the new course plans and future construction.

Adam Gustafson, a Justice Department lawyer, said that the government has "limited resources and discretion" and "when the president talks, the agencies listen."

Other proceedings

Reyes has also opened an inquiry into whether top Trump administration officials in the Department of Interior, Justice Department, and National Park Service misrepresented facts to her in recent court hearings and documents and violated ethics rules. She said she intends to appoint a former U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., Jessie Liu, to lead the probe. The Justice Department opposes the appointment of a special master.

The NCPC is set to consider the proposal for the new course at a Dec. 3 meeting.

Why it matters

The ruling keeps East Potomac Park open to the public while litigation over the Trump administration's plan to replace the historic golf course with a championship venue continues. The judge found that the proposed closure appeared to be intended to start the process of transforming the area into a championship golf course.

Sources

• cbsnews.com: Federal judge blocks Trump from closing historic D.C. golf course, for now - CBS News
• nytimes.com: Judge Blocks Immediate Closure of East Potomac Park for Trump Golf Project - The New York Times

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.