Judge continues to block Trump from cutting down trees at D.C. golf course

A federal judge on Monday barred the Trump administration from removing trees from East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., in a colorful ruling that follows a weekslong controversy over President Trump's plans to overhaul the publicly owned course."The Court earlier stated, 'I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees,'" U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes wrote. "The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law."In a 70-page preliminary injunction ruling, Reyes prohibited the government from "removing or damaging" any trees on the golf course while a lawsuit challenging the renovation plan works its way through the court system.

The judge also required 10 days' notice before the government makes "any irreparable modification" to the course.The judge had previously blocked tree removal through Monday.Mr. Trump has sought to overhaul the golf course — which sits beside the Potomac River — for months, pitching a "World Class Championship Golf Course" fit to host high-profile professional tournaments instead of the current "dysfunctional" course. The D.C. Preservation League sued over the planned changes to the course, arguing the government violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to analyze the project's impacts.Reyes has sparred with the government since it cut down hundreds of trees earlier this month with little notice to