The first meeting of the Disc Golf Working Group took place on 12/18. It was an introductory meeting to schedule future meetings. The next meeting will be January 12, 6 – 8 PM. The location will either be the DPW offices on Pine St. or the new Robert Miller Community Center (Goss Ct. Armory).
It is not yet known whether the public will be allowed to attend these meetings.
Bidwell Park is the 25th largest municipal park in the United States at 3,670 acres. The park has featured a 36 hole disc golf course (at one time with a proposed expansion to 45 holes).
Friends of Bidwell Park , (FOBP) in Chico, California is a park advocacy organization, formed in April of 2003. FOBP is focused on preserving and protecting the natural resources of Bidwell Park, increasing the volunteer opportunities in the park, participating in the ongoing update of the 15-year-old Master Management Plan for the park, and community outreach focusing on providing education about the park’s natural resources. FOBP is a focal point for residents concerned about the impacts of disc golfing in the park.
Specific concerns about the impact of disc golfing in Bidwell Park include the following:
These are all serious problems actually occurring in Bidwell Park and likely consequences of a disc golf course in Leddy Park as well, here in Burlington.
This oak at Bidwell Park has died since the course was established
In November 2008 the Chico, CA city council voted to remove disc golf from Bidwell Park. An alternative disc golf course is also being opened at a more appropriate location on the nearby Sunset Hills golf course. Although the city council has voted to remove disc golf from Bidwell Park, disc golfers disregarding the resolution, continue to play there.
Additional Information on Bidwell Park:
Windlestrae Park is a 176 acre public park in Montgomery Township, north of Philadelphia, PA. Some describe Montgomery Township as being overdeveloped, with too much traffic and not enough open space. Much of Windlestrae Park is already developed with soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, community gardens plus hiking and nature trails, but it also has an interior forest and a creek that provide wildlife habitat.
Dozens of trees 1 to 8 inches in diameter were cut in Windlestrae Park natural areas.
In 2007, without any public notice, without any review by the Township Planning Committee, the Shade Tree Committee or the Environmental Advisory Committee, an 18-hole, tournament length, disc golf course was installed within the interior forest and along the steep slopes of the creek, at a cost of $20,000(+) to the taxpayers. The course opened in October, 2007.
In December, 2007, the Township Board of Supervisors, in response to concerns about the environmental impacts of the course, reduced the disc golf course to 9-holes; holes away from the environmentally sensitive areas and the slopes of the creek. They also prohibited tournament play.
Throughout 2008 there have been efforts by disc golf advocates to “restore” the course to 18-holes, but the Township Board of Supervisors have not approved any action.
Additional Information on Windlestrae Park:
Disc golf proponents cite a number of benefits that the City of Burlington will derive from a disc golf course proposed for construction within Leddy Park. One of these benefits is the claim that a local course in Burlington will cut down on fossil fuel consumption and pollution since a local course will save disc golfers from having to drive cars in order to get in a round of play at the Waterbury, Vermont course. Another benfit the City will receive from developing a disc golf course in Leddy will be overall increase in tourism and tourist spending in Burlington. These claims seem contradictory in that, given the current popularity of disc golf and the appeal of playing disc golf (including tournaments) in a setting of natural beauty like the Champlain Valley it would seem that a course at Leddy Park would instigate more travel fuel, consumption and pollution that it would offset in terms of decreased travel to Waterbury. Certainly Btowndisc is promoting the aspect of increased tourism to potential course sponsors. (see http://btowndisc.com/ for details on their fund raising and sponsorship plans)
Lincoln Mead
