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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The National Park Service has begun a new round of tree-cutting at a historic golf course<\/a> near the National Mall as the Trump administration proceeds with a plan to renovate the East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course.<\/p>\n More than 500 trees \u201cthat do not contribute to the historic landscape will be removed\u201d as part of the rehabilitation project, the National Park Service said in a court filing<\/a> Friday. \u201cNo healthy trees that are contributing features of the historical golf course\u201d \u2014 including historic cherry trees \u2014 will be removed as part of the project, the park service said.<\/p>\n A total of 169 trees will be removed starting Saturday, with another 90 trees slated for removal later, the agency said.<\/p>\n The tree removals come as President Donald Trump has moved<\/a> to turn the course into a world-class golf venue \u2014 part of his grand vision for Washington, D.C.<\/a>, where he has torn down storied structures, remade or renamed others and deployed the National Guard<\/a> for more than a year.<\/p>\n Some residents fear the planned changes to the golf course \u2014 where Trump has visited with a cabinet member, a well-known golf course architect and blueprints \u2014 risk altering the character of a place that has served Washingtonians of all income levels for more than a century. Turning the park into an upscale golf course will mean costlier fees and a likely loss of public space.<\/p>\n “The National Park Service is finally implementing a 7-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course,” the Interior Department said in a statement Saturday. The department oversees the park service and other agencies that manage federal lands.<\/p>\n The renovation work will include selective tree and vegetation work to restore the course, the Interior Department said, adding that the work is intended to \u201chelp restore the course\u2019s historic character and reopen views toward landmarks, including the Washington Monument, National War College, Potomac River and Washington Channel.”<\/p>\n The park service \u201crecognizes the importance of trees to the park and its visitors. This carefully planned work is part of our required stewardship of the park,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n The golf course will remain open to the public throughout the renovation effort, although individual holes may temporarily close while work is underway, the agency said.<\/p>\n The 106-year-old public course has been embroiled in a lawsuit since February. Plaintiffs including the DC Preservation League say the Trump administration\u2019s reconstruction would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The group sought an emergency stop-work order this spring<\/a> because of concerns that work was expected to begin immediately on the course. <\/p>\n