The supposed plan for East Potomac Park is an absolute tragedy for so many that call our nation’s capital home. For 130 years, East Potomac has served every kind of American. Golfers, cyclists, runners, birdwatchers, walkers, picnickers, anyone who just wants to see the cherry blossoms. This plan is a betrayal of the public, of the National Park Service, and of the very act that established this land to be “forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.” Ask yourself who a public muni golf course is actually meant to serve. East Potomac was built in direct response to the elitism of golf, a course anyone could walk onto and play, at a time when golf in America belonged almost entirely to the wealthy. Now the government wants to turn it back into exactly that. The very thing this course was built to stand against. This golf escapade is compounded by the fact that golf is about to become the only purpose of this entire peninsula. Over 130 years, East Potomac expanded, not narrowed, who and what it served. The road came. The playground came. The mini golf course came. The cherry blossoms were planted and became part of the city’s identity. All of it added, piece by piece, to widen who this park belonged to. Now it’s all being wiped out in one fell swoop, for a single use, by a single man. Donald Trump already owns 16 golf courses. He doesn’t need a 17th. Especially not one carved out of 130 years of public land to chase his own personal trophy. The heart of this issue really is not about golf. It is about who owns our public lands in America. The National Park Service’s mandate is "...to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Not for the enjoyment of one man’s ego. For future generations. Public land doesn’t become private property just because the person in office wants it to be. That’s the whole point of calling it public.

This proposed plan is absolutely unacceptable. Here’s what the plan actually does: 36 holes of public golf cut to 18. No more mini golf. No more park. More running / cycling road. No more playground. No more introductory course. Nobody has said a word about the Cherry blossoms. Who is this actually for? Not the kid learning to golf. Not the family in a walk. Not the birders. This was never about the public. It’s for the elitists who want a private showcase, and one man’s ego.

Let’s see how the hearing goes. Let’s be clear - the admin knew exactly what they were doing when they issued that notice on Friday and rushed out the gangs 12 hours later. Again, anybody that thinks this is how the federal government should behave needs their head examined.

What happened today was a blitzkrieg on a public park. A cherished DMV space. If you are not livid about the circumstances that led up to this and what exactly the Federal government did in the past 24 hours I don’t know what to tell you. Let’s do a quick timeline: 1. Last night, a Friday before a long weekend, at 5PM, government lawyers filed a notice that tree cutting would begin in earnest today. The stated reason was a pretext - apparently fulfilling a 2019 Cultural Landscape Review on East Potomac. This was clearly an excuse to bring the gangs in. For months the government has stated there is no plan, nothing has been decided, going to follow the law. Ya, right. 2. At 5:30AM this morning, 3-4 dozen workers assembled at East Potomac Park. The blitzkrieg began shortly thereafter. They were given clear orders to fell as many trees as possible. 3. For hours, from 6AM until 4PM today, nothing but chainsaws. Healthy trees, old trees, all would come down. No clear estimate for the extent but at least 100 trees came down. The devastation is apparent. Entire groves cleared. Not a single animal on the peninsula. Not a sound aside from the roar of chainsaws. Earth ripped to pieces. Anybody that thinks it is acceptable to shred public lands to appeal to the vanity of the President of the United States needs their head examined. We have been sounding the alarm on this for months. For months we knew this day would come. Where the President would, under dubious legal pretexts, sic his goons on a beloved public space. This is not a local issue. This is fundamentally a question of if we the people own our public lands or the temporary resident of the White House does. @jamie_raskin @JaredHuffman @DonBeyerVA @glenniveymd @MarkWarner @AlsobrooksForMD @timkaine @ChrisVanHollen

For the people paying attention, 529 trees represents ~15% of the trees on the peninsula. This is a shameless gambit to start enacting their Washington National Plan without having to follow the law. Stealing a park in broad daylight. We will remember you as a traitor @SecretaryBurgum