Disc Golf and Bidwell Park
I read this article in the News & Review yesterday and probably only because I realized that on the front of the printed paper was my friend, Dale, hucking his disc up at the disc golf links.
Well, it seems that disc golf has been around in Chico for some and I remember about 7 years ago Dale mentioning how much he enjoyed playing up in Bidwell Park. Seems he's not the only one up there enjoying himself. With the sport really taking off in this area, the crowds up at the course are getting larger and the detriment to the land is growing as well. It seems the guys who started the course were given permission from the city to do so. But recently, a letter from a lawyer, hired by preservationists, and a meeting between the two opposing groups has created the current situation. The situation is that the city hasn't added the land acquired in 1994 to the park's master management plan which lead to the letter from the lawyer stating:
This means even though the founders of the course are prepared to maintain the area, about 40 acres in the upper park, the city has no provisions for it to occur. The city has said that, while mitigation efforts are off limits, the disc golfers may continue to play a game that is now attracting hundreds of players to the oak-studded bluff overlooking Chico Creek Canyon, even though the trees, ground vegetation, bushes and other plants may be suffering.
The debate is getting so heated that both sides even have websites, check them out.
http://www.friendsofbidwellpark.org/
http://www.chicodiscgolf.org/
Also read the article linked above to better understand what I can't explain without re-writing the article.
My feeling are the park is a rather large area which should be able to accomadate many activities. I also understand that disc golf can destroy trees and the landscape in general. So, though I'm siding with keeping disc golf in upper Bidwell, modifications to the course and actions of disc golfers must be made. In the article, the disc golfers states their course modifications and they seem be a step in the right direction. The Friends of Bidwell Park believe total eradication of disc golf, along with mountain biking, are the only solution for preserving the park. Unfortunately, the city has put themselves in the middle of all this by trying to be the nice guy and not ammending the park's master plan, amongst other things. Pretty exciting stuff for Chico, eh?
Well, it seems that disc golf has been around in Chico for some and I remember about 7 years ago Dale mentioning how much he enjoyed playing up in Bidwell Park. Seems he's not the only one up there enjoying himself. With the sport really taking off in this area, the crowds up at the course are getting larger and the detriment to the land is growing as well. It seems the guys who started the course were given permission from the city to do so. But recently, a letter from a lawyer, hired by preservationists, and a meeting between the two opposing groups has created the current situation. The situation is that the city hasn't added the land acquired in 1994 to the park's master management plan which lead to the letter from the lawyer stating:
"the city has no management plan in place that would allow such mitigations"
This means even though the founders of the course are prepared to maintain the area, about 40 acres in the upper park, the city has no provisions for it to occur. The city has said that, while mitigation efforts are off limits, the disc golfers may continue to play a game that is now attracting hundreds of players to the oak-studded bluff overlooking Chico Creek Canyon, even though the trees, ground vegetation, bushes and other plants may be suffering.
The debate is getting so heated that both sides even have websites, check them out.
http://www.friendsofbidwellpark.org/
http://www.chicodiscgolf.org/
Also read the article linked above to better understand what I can't explain without re-writing the article.
My feeling are the park is a rather large area which should be able to accomadate many activities. I also understand that disc golf can destroy trees and the landscape in general. So, though I'm siding with keeping disc golf in upper Bidwell, modifications to the course and actions of disc golfers must be made. In the article, the disc golfers states their course modifications and they seem be a step in the right direction. The Friends of Bidwell Park believe total eradication of disc golf, along with mountain biking, are the only solution for preserving the park. Unfortunately, the city has put themselves in the middle of all this by trying to be the nice guy and not ammending the park's master plan, amongst other things. Pretty exciting stuff for Chico, eh?
posted by Tony Rocha at
1/19/2005
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