The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering installing a disc golf course at their Stewart Pond property in west Eugene. Matt Benotsch and Jesse Everett have been working with the BLM to get the disc golf proposal included in the draft version of their new management plan. The proposal made it into the draft and the BLM is now accepting public comment on what they should include in their final version of the management plan. You can submit comments until January 19th. The decision won’t be made for at least nine months after that, and if accepted the course would probably not be installed until 2014 or later.
Do you have 15 minutes to write an e-mail or letter to the BLM and ask them to include disc golf in their plan? That’s all you need to do for now. Here’s what you need to know:
The BLM is considering disc golf at Stewart Pond as a way to increase recreation at the site, partly because there is so much inappropriate and illegal activity there. They do not have the staff resources to deal with illegal camping, trash dumping and other issues. By bringing more eyes to the site it will be less likely to be abused. The area for the disc golf proposal is not environmentally sensitive and is great for recreation like disc golf. It has elevation, big trees, open areas and moderate to heavily wooded areas. Disc golf would greatly increase public use of the area and would not cause environmental damage.
When you submit your comments you need to include four main things:
1. You are submitting comments on the West Eugene RMP and you want them to include Alternative 3c in the final plan.
2. The reasons WHY you want them to include disc golf at Stewart Pond (Alternative 3c). Use plain language and common sense and tell them all the reasons why it would be a good idea and why you personally want to see it happen.
3. How many times per year you’d play a great course in Eugene and how many hours per year you would volunteer to maintain the course by attending volunteer work parties, pulling weeds, picking up trash, etc. If its five hours, say five hours, and if it’s one hundred say that. If you are not local and wouldn't help that is ok, Be honest.
4. Your full name and address.
Comments from Eugene area people are probably most helpful but any comments are good. Please be honest and realistic in your comments. Do you know of or are you involved in a course where disc golf helped clean up a park - put it in your comments. Would you travel here to play casual or tournament rounds? How much would you spend in the local economy to do so?
We have a good chance of getting this course approved if we are willing to adopt the property and help the BLM maintain the course and protect Stewart Pond. Matt and Jesse will be submitting detailed comments which outline how the EDGC would do the volunteer work to keep a course at the site. For more details or questions please contact Matt B. via PM here or at
mattbenotsch@comcast.net
Stewart Pond is located between Bailey Hill Rd. and Bertlesen Rd. just north of W. 11th Ave.
The draft management plan can be viewed here:
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/eugene/plans/files/Draft_RMP.pdf
The disc golf proposal (Alternative 3c) is on page 59.
Submit your comments to:
• Email:
BLM_OR_EU_Mail@blm.gov
• Fax: (541) 683-6981
• Mail: P.O. Box 10226, Eugene, Oregon 97440-2226
Please let Matt know that you submitted comments!
November 13th, 2012, 04:08 PM
Potential New Course in Eugene
