Federal Judge Delays Preparations for WWII Monument
A federal judge put a snag in preparations for a massive World War II monument Thursday, ordering the National Park Service to refrain from pruning nearby elm trees until he decides whether they will survive the process.
A lawsuit, filed by opponents of the monument, argues that the elm trees belong to the Lincoln Memorial and must be protected.
The monument is planned for the National Mall, a huge strip of land that includes the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy ruled that plans to prune the trees must be halted for 10 days, until he can further study the issue.
“If there is a harm to the root systems of these trees, they’re gone, it’s irreparable,” Kennedy said. “The trees are part of the historic master plan for the National Mall.”
The park service planned to cut the trees next week.
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