Coast Guard wants to kick boats off 2 miles of the Potomac River when Trump is golfing

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4. Given Trump's Golf Habits, The Coast Guard Plans To Cut Off Potomac River Access

Given Trump's Golf Habits, The Coast Guard Plans To Cut Off Potomac River Access
BY RACHEL SADON IN NEWS ON JUL 17, 2017 6:14 PM

Attorney and competitive kayaker Adam Van Grack was paddling up from the Seneca Breaks on the Potomac River earlier this month when a motor boat sped up to his side. Two armed men told Van Grack that he needed to get to the other side of the river—immediately.

Every time that President Donald Trump decides to play golf at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, one of the river's most popular kayaking and canoeing spots—used by children all the way up to Olympians—is disrupted. As the Coast Guard moves to implement a permanent security zone in the area, boaters fear that it will severely curtail enjoyment of the area for hundreds of people at a time.

"Shutting down the river so Trump can play golf is impacting a lot of people, not only us recreational paddlers who are out here for fun," says Susan Sherrod, the chairman of the Canoe Cruisers Association, a club and advocacy organization in the area. Several members of the U.S. canoe and kayak team use it regularly for training and Team River Runner paddles in the zone with wounded veterans. A boating school sits on the Maryland shore, and dozens of groups come from outside of the area come to teach kayaking on this section of the river, which offers both flat water and Class 1 and 2 rapids. Motorboats, stand-up paddle boarders, and fisherman are also common sights.

But when the president or other high-ranking officials decide to play golf at Trump National, the Coast Guard sets up a temporary security zone at the request of the Secret Service that places about two miles of the river off limits. ... Since March 24, they've already done so five times. Given the president's voracious golf habit, it seems all but certain that he'll return. ... Foreseeing the need for future security zones, the Coast Guard has implemented an interim rule in the Federal Register, effective July 10, that allows for a complete shutdown of the river to any use, motorized or non-motorized, between Sharpshin Island and Violette's Lock. The Coast Guard is currently taking comments before making it a permanent rule.
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The permanent security zone proposed by the Coast Guard, above. The Canoe Cruisers Association is proposing a less restrictive area that would still allow for use of the river closer to the Maryland shore. (Courtesy of the CCA)