Alimagnet Park in Apple Valey, Minnesota struggles with disc golf impacts. Tree damage, erosion, and invasive species are cited:
Dr. Katharine Widin with Plant Health Associates, Inc. conducted a tree evaluation report in September 2006. She reported tree wounds, damage to native vegetation caused by people searching for discs, invasion of non-native plants such as burdock and buckthorn in areas where native plant coverage was destroyed and soil erosion around baskets, slopes and trails. All of this, she reports, will compromise the longevity of trees and shrubs in the park.
Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation also conducted an on-site review in July 2006, but only in areas around disc golf tees eight through 11. Its report states that Alimagnet Park is one of only two remnant natural communities remaining in Apple Valley and a “rare feature” in Dakota County.
Its technical opinion is that the impacts of disc golf are significant to the quality of the native oak forest and continued use for this activity would lead to “total loss of ground cover vegetation in impacted areas and greater degradation of this rare community.”