The overhaul of the East Potomac Golf Links at East Potomac Park in is a dream project of President Donald Trump. As the project takes shape, the felling of 100-year-old cherry blossom trees has raised concerns.
A grove of , gifted to the United States by Japan between 1909 and 1912, was planted at the southern end of the Hains Point at East Potomac Park. An explosive report by the Washington Post recently documented how the National Park Service (NPS) is allegedly felling trees at the park, including one of the cherry trees from the -gifted grove.
How Many Cherry Trees Were Felled As Part Of The Overhaul?
According to the , “an informal audit” by the journalist revealed that around 60 trees were felled as part of the East Potomac Golf Links expansion. The report noted that a total of 60 trees were cut down, most of which were around the perimeter and the parking lot.
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As the news dominates headlines, given the heritage of the cherry trees and the central place they occupy in DC’s cherry blossom festivals, a key question that has come up is: how many cherry blossom trees were cut?
The Washington Post reported that at least one of the cherry blossom trees from the Japanese-gifted grove, located near the 14th green of the Blue Course, was cut down.
Based on the Washington Post report, at least one cherry blossom tree from the grove near South Hains was cut down. Save East Potomac, an advocacy group working to save the trees from being felled during the 50-acre overhaul of the park, expressed concern that the project could eat into the remaining footprint of the cherry blossom trees.
The latest round of removal is concerning, as, in May 2024, 269 cherry trees were removed to make way for the seawall at the Tidal Basin, the Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported. If more trees are removed, it will significantly trim down the footprint of the 100-year-old grove of historic cherry trees.
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Why Are The Cherry Trees Being Removed
The National Park Service (NPS) has termed the tree felling as “regular maintenance work” at East Potomac Park. According to WaPo, Trump wants to expand the golf course into Hains Point, which is a centuries-old man-made island along the East Potomac River. The 79-year-old wants the course to hold events in the future.
“Arborists are doing routine maintenance at East Potomac Park with selective removal of hazard trees, non-native invasive trees, and declining and dying trees that cannot be brought back to good health through any degree of intervention,” a NPS spokesperson said in a statement to WaPo.
