The Trump administration just cut down a century’s worth of history at D.C.’s government golf course

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has drastically altered the landscape of East Potomac Park, a government-owned golf course in Washington, D.C., by cutting down over 500 trees without authorization. The removal of the trees, which included elms, oaks, pines, and willows, occurred on Saturday and continued through Sunday.

The National Park Service, which manages the course, has been accused of violating the National Environmental Policy Act. Preservationists have filed a lawsuit in an effort to halt further tree removal, arguing that the administration's actions represent a "surprise demolition razing" and a disregard for environmental protection laws.

The East Potomac Park, initially designed in 1917, has a rich history that reflects the evolution of golf course design, from sparse tree-lined fairways to the lush, mature landscapes favored in modern parkland courses. The removal of these trees represents the loss of a century's worth of landscape design history and the diminishment of a historic public golf course.