ARPA funding approved for disk golf vegetation management

BELCHERTOWN – Using $8,500 of American Rescue Plan Act funding, brush and vegetation will be removed from the disk golf course behind the soccer field at Ron Constantino Recreation Area with the approval of the Selectboard.

At last week’s meeting, Recreation Director Kyle Thibeault provided an update on the course and how the one-time funding would be used in a long-term way.

This project began about two years ago, and all 18 baskets of the course have been installed. Thibeault said a lot of effort on this project was done by volunteers to help clear the area of brush and vegetation. Students from Pathfinder Regional Vocational High School also came out to help with downed tree removal and clearing as well.

“Unfortunately, with school ending and all the rain we’ve had, we have all 18 holes playable with rough cuts of the holes so people can play,” he said. “We got feedback on how each hole was and if we needed to adjust anything in any way.”

One suggestion included permanent signage for each hole and where they are, but Thibeault said he didn’t want to jump the gun too early just in case there were any changes that needed to be made.

The challenge now is that due to heavy rains, there is rapid vegetation growth.

“It’s an uphill battle,” Thibeault said. “We do have working day that I put out onto community disk golf websites to get help out there.”

However, the funding request would pay for specialized equipment.

“It would get everything leveled off, everything to the ground, everything you can’t get to with weedwhackers,” Thibeault said. “We have two holes that look awful. When we were out there a couple of weeks ago, there were ferns, but it’s kind of invasive.”

He added that the goal is to “stay on top of everything down low to the ground and prevent some of the invasive species from coming back.”

He said the funds would be for a one-time clearing and there would be a maintenance plan for his staff to execute. Pathfinder students would also be invited to help maintain the course.

The hope would be to allow the work to occur and for the course to open in the beginning of August. A grand opening of the course has been mentioned, and Thibeault said they would have the event in November.

During the meeting, Selectboard member Peg Louraine said she was concerned about having to pay for the work to be done again next year.

“We currently have a little over a quarter million dollars left and some of that money already went to [the Recreation Department,] $500,000 for the parking area, a bunch of money on Chestnut Hill,” she said. “I’m reluctant about ARPA funds, and I’m concerned about continuing maintenance of a piece of property, relying solely on volunteers and hoping disk golf enthusiasts will come out there and do it.”

Thibeault said once the course is open, tournaments can occur which will raise money that will be used for the course.

Town Administrator Steve Williams said the area is difficult to work with due to regeneration and material that is difficult to work with, due to the location of the course.

“The contractor will hopefully open it enough for different types of equipment to be used in the future,” he said. “Right now, it’s just a sprawling site.”

Selectboard Chair Ed Boscher said he’s been out to the course and “it’s an impossible piece of terrain.”

“We don’t have the equipment in town, it’s really specialized equipment that can get back there through that sort of terrain,” he said.

The board unanimously approved the funding request.