WASHINGTON — The National Park Service has started a new round of tree-cutting at East Potomac Golf Links near the National Mall as the Trump administration moves to remake it into a championship-level course, according to The Associated Press.
More than 500 trees ‘that do not contribute to the historic landscape will be removed,’ the agency said in a court filing, adding that no healthy historic trees, including cherry trees, would be cut.
A total of 169 trees were to be removed starting Saturday, with 90 more later.
The Interior Department said it is carrying out a 7-year-old plan to address overgrowth and reopen views of landmarks including the Washington Monument.
Some residents worry an upscale course would mean higher fees and less public space at a park used by Washingtonians for more than a century, the AP reported.
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: NPS Photo / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
