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4 <br /> and staff recommend that this new amenity be located in the wooded area in the <br /> northwestern corner of the park, and in the open meadow that adjoins it to the <br /> east. The Master Plan revision in early 2018 would reflect the course boundaries. <br /> The exact layout of the course would be created by an informal working group of <br /> staff and disc golf organization representatives in the winter and spring of 2018. <br /> Discovery Trail <br /> Over the past two years, the Assistant Parks Superintendent and the Resource <br /> Program Support Coordinator with Soil and Water Conservation have worked on <br /> a Discovery Trail to be located near the current trailhead on the eastern edge of <br /> the property. Grant funds and other donations have enabled a local high school <br /> artist to develop a series of signs on environmental education for this trail, with <br /> an orientation toward K-8 grades. The trail will offer learning opportunity stations <br /> and signage will help children explore the many and varied wildlife of the N.C. <br /> Piedmont. A mockup of one of the planned signs is provided as Attachment 2. <br /> 3. Investigation of Maintenance and Management of Former Hay Fields <br /> As instructed by the Board, staff met with representatives of the agricultural <br /> community and the staffs from Cooperative Extension and Soil and Water <br /> Conservation to explore whether there is a viable alternative to using a tractor <br /> and attachment (included in the current year capital project funding) to <br /> periodically clear the former hay fields — including the scenic vista portion of the <br /> property from New Hope Church Road north toward the farmstead. Staff was <br /> asked to explore the possibility of animal / livestock in this capacity. <br /> After several meetings and discussions, it is staff's recommendation that one of <br /> two options (or a combination of the two) be pursued: <br /> a) Putting the fields not used by the park (including the vista) back into hay <br /> production; and/or <br /> b) Using prescribed burns in certain portions of the park to create wildflower <br /> meadows or"Piedmont Prairie." <br /> Staff looked at both goats and cattle grazing as an option for maintaining the hay <br /> fields. While the use of goats in parks is becoming a viable and popular option for <br /> eliminating unwanted vegetation, goats are better suited to shrubs and vegetative <br /> cover as opposed to grasslands. Goats also tend to be used most often for <br /> smaller areas, such as clearing old playground areas (as recently done in <br /> Durham). <br /> Grazing of beef cattle was another option explored, and the County has an <br /> existing arrangement with an adjoining farmer on the future Northeast District <br /> Park site for grazing of beef cattle. However, that site is an expansion of grazing <br /> land for existing cattle located on adjoining land, which already has adequate <br /> Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks &Recreation <br /> PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Phone: (919) 245-2510 <br /> Fax: (919) 644-3351 <br />