The Trump administration repeatedly dismissed internal objections from National Park Service officials regarding a proposal to lease nearly 40 acres of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., to a private operator.
Internal records reveal Park Service employees raised legal, environmental, and ethical concerns about the plan, which includes the Rock Creek Tennis Center, reported The Washington Post.
Officials explained the proposal violated federal rules protecting public access to parklands, threatened the habitat of the Hays Spring amphipod —a federally protected crustacean— and exceeded boundaries even the expected lessee had requested.
Emails show Park Service officials coordinated with Washington businessman Mark Ein, who owns the DC Open, before formal bidding opened. A senior official warned the lease could be vulnerable to legal challenge and questioned how the agency could determine it would not interfere with park protection or visitor enjoyment.
Despite these warnings, leadership approved the larger footprint.
No lease agreement has been announced months after the administration's March 1 deadline.
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