‘America’s national parks are not for sale’: Cyclists rally at Hains Point over proposed golf course changes – WTOP News
Hains Point was packed with bike riders Saturday, part of a large crowd protesting the Trump administration’s proposed changes to East Potomac Park in D.C., which they fear could limit public access to the park’s golf course and other features.
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Hains Point Hoopla 2.0 was co-hosted by the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, or WABA, and Save East Po, a new advocacy group.
“My God, it’s heaven! If you haven’t been out here, come quick,” WABA Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker said. “It’s a three-mile loop that bicyclists love. It is flat. There is very little car traffic.”
Kiker said one concern is how little is known about the plans to redevelop the park’s golf course.
“What we’ve heard is that there will be a top quality golf course, and the construction will start Sept. 1,” she said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced in May that Fazio Design would redesign the East Potomac Golf Links. In June, President Donald Trump was photographed looking at plans that appeared to show the course expanding across much of the peninsula. He said after his June visit that the renovated course would be able to host major golf tournaments.
The changes are also the subject of a lawsuit by the D.C. Preservation League.
“People that have been historically appointed to these commissions had respect for their jobs and respect for the rule of law,” Rebecca Miller, the league’s executive director, said of organizations that so far have backed Trump’s projects. “In this particular case, we just have them passing these because this is what the president wants to do. So it’s really a farce at this point.”
More than golf
Arlington, Virginia, resident Jackie Wilson carried a sign reading, “Putt Putt, not King Tut,” referring to East Potomac Park’s miniature golf course.
“It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, and it should be treasured,” Wilson said.
Fellow protester Bob Hartt, 76, who is blind, rides with Tuesday Night Tandems, which pairs blind riders with volunteer captains.
“For a blind person who doesn’t get the opportunity to ride a bicycle,” Hartt said. “It’s just an incredible, incredible experience to feel that air and listen to all the sounds.”
Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen called Hains Point “worth fighting for and saving.”
‘Not for sale’
Ed Stierli of the National Parks Conservation Association told the crowd, “America’s national parks are not for sale.”
The crowd responded by chanting, “Not for sale.”
In his speech, Alex Rosen, head of Save East Po, talked about why the land was set aside.
“In 1897, Congress decreed that this place would exist for the recreation and pleasure of the people,” Rosen said. “What we want to say is no. The president is not entitled to this park.”
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