The D.C. Council has advanced the RFK Stadium redevelopment plan, allowing the removal of 31 protected heritage trees to make way for a $3.7 billion project backed by the Washington Commanders. Environmental advocates warn the move could set a dangerous precedent for future developments across the District.
The D.C. Council is moving forward with legislation that would allow the removal of dozens of protected trees as part of a multibillion-dollar plan to redevelop the RFK Stadium campus.
The “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025,” backed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, would permit the Washington Commanders to cut down 31 “heritage trees,” large and mature trees that are normally protected under city law.
The council voted 9-3 on Aug. 1 to give the redevelopment plan initial approval.
Instead of paying nearly $1 million in penalties, the team will be charged a reduced fee.
The exemption is part of a $3.7 billion redevelopment package that includes a new football stadium, housing, retail, restaurants and public spaces. The Commanders have pledged $2.7 billion toward the project, with the city contributing more than $1 billion.
If approved, it would be only the third exemption to the District’s tree canopy protections since they were enacted in 2002. The legislation could set a bad precedent for other developers who would remove similar large trees without regard to the impact to the environment, according to Casey Trees, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the tree canopy in D.C.
“Developers should be considering each existing heritage and special tree on a case-by-case basis instead of cutting down everything that took decades to grow,” communications director Vincent Drader told WTOP.
“It’s not just about RFK. If left unchecked this kind of exemption could set a troubling precedent that would turn RFK into a blueprint for future unsustainable development across D.C.,” he added.
Drader said the loss of mature trees could increase temperatures in surrounding neighborhoods.
“They provide shade for the community and stormwater runoff protection,” Drader said, adding the surrounding area already doesn’t have enough trees. “The trees on this site are over 60 years old, some of them are over four feet wide.”
The proposal comes as the Department of Energy and Environment faces significant budget reductions. Bowser’s fiscal 2026 budget plan would cut more than $70 million from the agency, though the council restored a portion of that funding.
The nonprofit has launched a petition asking the council to remove the exemption before its final vote that’s scheduled for Sept. 17.
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Alan Etter
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