Forks of the Illinois River State Park

Disc Golf Proposal

Planning

The disc golf proposal was formally proposed to the Oregon State Parks in May of 2010 but little progress has been made to move the project forward.  The reason for this has to do with the recent expiration of an agreement between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).

Understanding the BLM-OPRD agreement

Residents have always considered the Forks of the Illinois River State Park to belong to OPRD because for as far back as most of us can remember, this has been managed by state park staff. What most of us didn’t realize is the land leading into the river-side park belongs to the BLM, which had signed an agreement that the parcel would be managed by OPRD. This agreement expired about the same time that the disc golf proposal was submitted and there has not been a new agreement signed since that time.

The main issues delaying the agreement

The agreement is in negotiation and the main concerns that have trickled out to the public is about who will do law enforcement patrols of the site and maintain the grounds. The issue for both the ORPD and BLM is the distance that staff from the offices in Grants Pass and Rogue River, 30-40 miles away, would need to drive to do a patrol through the river-side park. The Forest Service, located within a half mile of the park, has offered to pass through the area when coming or going to patrols on Forest Service lands and Josephine County Sheriff has been asked to do the same.The main issue that the BLM and OPRD have complained about is the occasional presence of transients in the park area and concerns that they may engage in malicious or violent activity. It is not clear if the agencies have a record of such incidents that have involved transients or other park users and it is uncertain if the alarm over transient activities at this park are higher than what happens at similar facilities in other parts of the state.

At the time of the writing of this page, the only information available about park users are the personal observations made by this author during visits to the park. Based on this, it appears that most park users are enjoying the facility as it was designed to be enjoyed; picnicking, swimming, socializing with friends. Most people who grew up in this community remember this to be the place where families gathered in a very friendly atmosphere.

The disc golf course might help address concerns

The social nature of disc golfing offers another way to address law enforcement concerns about potential malicious activity. The reason for this is because disc golf players generally walk around in groups, which gives them safety in numbers. Several groups using the course increases the likelihood that a suspicious character might be observed and reported. Law enforcement would become more effective because pictures could be taken with cell phones and uploaded directly to dispatchers. The increased numbers of disc golfers circulating around the area will help make positive changes in the demographics of park users and reduce the appeal of this area to transients.

Federal protection

Much of the area where the proposed disc golf course would be installed is on BLM lands and there are regulations that will need to be addressed for such things as archaeological sites, threatened and endangered plants, and preservation of riparian areas. Many of these concerns were addressed during the initial layout of the course to include using abandoned roads or areas of obvious disturbance and avoiding zones with vernal pools. In general, the course is routed to have no impacts on potential cultural sites or critical natural areas.