Henry County board allows volunteer disc golf course to proceed with environmental caveats and MOU review

The Henry County Park Board voted to permit continued development of a volunteer‑built disc golf course and signaled support for a near‑term opening, provided organizers and the board adopt specific environmental protections and revise the memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The motion, made by a board member and seconded by another member, asked that the course open on an agreed date (the motion referenced an early‑August opening), that ropes or similar protections be installed in sensitive areas, that the board initiate a review and edits to the existing MOU, and that the board add an environmental adviser role to its bylaws. The superintendent offered to help mediate between volunteer groups if needed.

Environmental volunteers raised objections to holes sited inside high‑quality forest patches, citing erosion, soil compaction and vegetation loss. “I would ask to just see if there is a way we can redesign the course and take out what was 4, what is now 5,” Helen, a conservation volunteer, said, urging re‑routing or relocation of the most sensitive holes. Kevin, a senior ecologist with Ecologic who prepared an ecological assessment for the board, told members he found no federally endangered species but identified multiple areas with high forest‑quality index scores that merit protection and recommended avoiding steep slopes and stream‑adjacent holes to reduce erosion risk.

Representatives of the disc golf organizers said much of the course is already constructed and they need a finalized map to open. “We’ve got 16 of 18 holes done,” a disc golf organizer said, arguing the community has invested time and volunteer labor and asking for a defined path to opening while edits to the MOU proceed.

The board debated compromises and oversight. The chair called for close monitoring and for the MOU review to begin before the next meeting; the motion was approved by voice vote and the chair declared it passed. The transcript records two audible “Aye” responses; no roll‑call was recorded in the transcript and the chair stated the motion had passed. The board also directed staff and volunteers to work together on map finalization, agreed to schedule additional site review for the two most sensitive holes, and instructed counsel and staff to draft the recommended MOU edits and a process to add an environmental adviser to board governance documents.

Next steps: the board will start the MOU review, solicit language to add an environmental adviser to the bylaws, and schedule follow‑up site work to resolve the placement of the most sensitive holes before a final public opening to ensure the agreed protections are in place.