Deception Pass State Park February 2015 A monthly newsletter for the park’s friends and neighbors Your Park, Your Forests, Your Trust State Park, both a part of look like an 80-year old tree My goal is to be as Deception Pass State Park. plantation, with uniform trees and transparent as possible with None of us at the park or our a monoculture of salal underneath. everyone about what I know is region office knew about any such It is true, small pockets of the going on at Deception Pass State proposal. forests in these two areas are not Park. After a couple calls and emails, as diverse and healthy as the rest This is your park. It belongs to we found out that our agency of Deception Pass State Park. all citizens, and I want you all fully wanted to consider some tree- But we were all thrown by the informed of any proposed changes thinning in these forests in order appearance of proposals that were to the park so that you can share to work towards our goal of not yet even studied, let alone your insights and feelings about eventually seeing old-growth given full public exposure and such proposals, long before any forests in previously logged areas. vetting for consideration of all plans become a reality. Both Hoypus Hill and Dugualla alternatives, including the We were all blindsided late became part of this state park just alternative of leaving these areas last month when we read of a over twenty years ago, after being alone, even if they aren’t as “Determination of Non-Significance” logged by the Department of natural as they could be. and a request for comments for a Natural Resources in the Thirties. I have now had a chance to proposed thinning project in the They were planted at that time talk with the scientists who are forests at Hoypus Hill and Dugualla with Douglas fir trees. These now looking at these ideas. They apologized to me for surprising us all. I have also had the chance to chat with several of you about how you felt let down, betrayed, ignored, left in the dark, bypassed, and any of several other phrases I heard. You are right; it should not have been advertised that way without notifying and getting input from everyone first, including me. That is how I felt as well. So here we are. We are starting over with ideas and discussions, involving everyone at the beginning. The science about restoring An even-aged stand in the Hoypus Hill area old growth forests is not clear-cut, so to speak, nor is there …Your Park, Your Forests, Your Trust (cont.) agreement about how it can be I will confirm a date by mid- “I did my monthly sea star done or even if it should be done. February and share that with survey at the pass on Thursday. The I have proposed to our agency everyone in the Current newsletter. number of sea stars is still small, that we have a public field trip into This is your park, these are but at least I did not see any these two forests in the very near your forests, and I will always strive wasting, so hopefully we are finally to be worthy of your trust. turning a corner on the wasting Thank you for the love and care syndrome. that you have for this park that I “However, I found some of the continually see demonstrated in so Red sea cucumbers with unusual many ways. You all inspire me. "blisters" and so far nobody has an ____________________________ explanation what they represent. I contacted some of the experts in the field and so far, nobody has ever seen anything like this. “David Pawson, Emeritus Senior Scientists from the U. S. Forest Seastar Update: Scientist from Smithsonian, Service and the University of wonders if it is indeed a Washington use a core sample to manifestation of some sort of determine the age of a tree at ur local diver and sea-star disease? He is sending the photos Hoypus Hill. O investigator, Jan Kocian, returned to other cucumber specialists, so here a couple weeks ago to again hopefully somebody will have an future, look at what is being talked check on our underwater life in explanation.” about, listen to various people who Deception Pass. Here is his report: Jan’s photos and illustrations have knowledge of forest show it all in vivid beauty and a management, and then find little humor. agreeable options that educated citizens can consider. You are all invited into this process as much as you wish to be involved. Having explored these areas and having listened to many experts walking through the woods with me, I have some opinions about what options I prefer. But my strongest opinion is that nothing will happen without all of you knowing about it first, then having opportunities to be further informed about on-site details, and then being able to share your thoughts as well to help us make decisions. Is anyone interested in walking through these areas with me during the last week of February? 2 closures between Sharpe’s Corner We are making contingency A Week Without on Fidalgo to Frostad Road on plans. Whidbey Island. When we know exactly which the Bridge The only way to re-pave the week it will be, we will let you bridge, however, because it is know. I expect it will be towards narrow, is to close it down the end of July or the first couple ant to know what it will W completely. Imagine our typical weeks of August, but many factors be like to have no Deception Pass traffic across the bridge at 7:29 p.m. will move the schedule around. bridge? In the summer? on a summer evening. Imagine you It is a useful bridge that we We are going to find out this being on the wrong side of the take for granted. July or August, when the bridge at 7:31 that evening. That will change for one week Department of Transportation Imagine your consternation if this summer. CLOSES the Deception Pass bridge you are a camper with your spouse from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., and kids, coming from Bellingham DOT website information: Sunday evening through Friday or Vancouver expecting to cross http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects morning, for one week, and the bridge to get to your campsite /sr20/frostadsharpespaving/ hopefully no longer than that. that evening. Or Closed. imagine that there is No one crossing the bridge for a broken water line ten hours. in the park that night, They will be doing several miles on the other side of of paving this summer, grinding up the bridge from the old asphalt of Highway 20 and where our replacing it with a new surface. maintenance staff The highway surface here live. Or a lost hiker definitely needs resurfacing. DOT at 9 in the evening, needs warm and dry weather to do with our rangers on their paving, so summertime it is. the wrong side. The project will last up to 90 days, and will involve single lane 2015 State Parks Free Days: Deception Pass Park Foundation January 1 – (Thursday) New Year’s Day January 18 and 19 – (Sunday and Monday) Martin Luther King Jr. Day President: Liz Merriman March 19 – (Thursday) Washington State Parks’ 102ⁿ� birthday Vice President: Barb Shaw April 4 – (Saturday) A springtime free Saturday Secretary: Steve Young April 22 – (Wednesday) Earth Day Treasurer: Estelle Johnson May 10 – (Sunday) A springtime free Sunday Board Member: Matt Klope June 6 – (Saturday) National Trails Day Board Member: Brian Shelly June 13 – (Saturday) National Get Outdoors Day August 25 – (Tuesday) National Park Service’s 99�� birthday www.deceptionpassfoundation. September 26 – (Saturday) National Public Lands Day org November 11 – (Wednesday) Veterans Day Like, follow, and stay current with Or, volunteer 24 hours in a calendar year and receive a free the Deception Pass Discover Pass. Or, buy a Discover Pass from us and all the parks in the state are Park Foundation on free to you every day of the year! And that way, you are supporting Facebook your state parks directly. 3 Help Wanted: Part-Time Temporary Wildlife Work Available beach and the Cornet Bay Retreat Center. The fun We have funding to pay someone to spend a part? You can use a radio-controlled boat that we couple hundred hours this spring helping us manage have been given to encourage the geese to go wildlife and safeguarding the health of our swim somewhere else. beach. Or to say it more plainly, to scare geese away. You are also welcome to bring any leashed pet The past three years have seen exponential you may have that will make the geese want to move growth in the numbers of Canada geese in the park. on, or any other legal and appropriate method that We had to close Cranberry Lake for much of the we agree upon. summer in 2012, and only avoided that fate again the We pay just a little over minimum wage, with no past two years because of diligent efforts to frighten benefits, for up to 200 hours between March and the geese away from our busiest use areas. June. We hope the person we hire can be here two or The waste from the geese may also be three hours a day, several days each week, especially contributing to the growth of cyanobacteria that in the early mornings and in evenings.