Restoring the “historic viewshed” at Deception Pass State Park will literally be like walking a slippery slope.

Ted Smith, Washington State Parks Northwest Region stewardship manager, led a discussion about restoring the viewshed in the area of Deception Pass Bridge at a public meeting Thursday evening.

Since the Civilian Conservation Corps designed pullouts to accentuate the panoramic views of Deception Pass 80 years ago, trees and shrubs have been allowed to grow and obstruct some of the views. Smith said State Parks, through benign neglect, let the trees sprout up.

“It’s catch up time,” he said. “These pullouts didn’t happen by accident. The CCC put them in to provide views. I think we’re letting them down if we don’t restore them.”

During his Powerpoint presentation, Smith visually juxtaposed through photographs the bridge area at the time of its construction and its present condition. The viewshed in the 1940s was markedly different from the one visitors now find at the bridge.

“I just think we owe it to visitors to be able to take advantage of those views,” he said. “It’s one of the things that is special about Deception Pass.”

Fuels reduction will be a component of the project. Smith called Pass Island a potential fire hazard.

“If we had an exceptionally dry August or September, that could be very dangerous,” he said.

The project would begin with “limbing up” trees to make clear what trees need to be removed completely. He estimated that 25 trees have been identified as primary view obstructors, but the project is still in its embryonic stages and State Parks is brainstorming exactly how to move forward. Thursday’s gathering was essentially a scoping meeting for the State Environmental Policy Act.

“We’re not doing a body count on this yet. We don’t even have a budget,” Smith said. “This is a project being proposed. We don’t want to take out all the trees. We recognize the value of having trees. This is still a work in progress.”

State Parks also recognizes the value of restoring a “cultural landscape.” Smith said his wife avoids viewing Deception Pass from the intimidating bridge. Freeing up the view will ultimately disperse some of the visitor use, he said, sending them to vantage points other than the bridge. It will also provide additional space to view the pass.

If the tree removal goes through, the stewardship manager added that finding contractors willing to rappel down the slopes to fall the trees will be difficult. Disposing of the trees will be a different beast entirely.

“We’re not sure exactly how to take them down or up slope,” Smith said. “I’m not even sure this job’s doable. We don’t know exactly how that’s going to work.”

Steve Erickson of Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) said he was concerned with soil disturbance.

“I’m not hearing a holistic plan here,” he said. Smith said Parks is soliciting input on the best way to proceed with the project.

Erickson continued, bemoaning the lack of a restoration plan. He referred to State Parks’ approach as “Disneyification,” an admittedly invented word, creating a “pretty postcard for the park” while ignoring other issues.

Marianne Edain, also of WEAN, suggested leaving the trees standing and limbing them, a plan that partially paralleled Smith’s, at least in the first phase.

“As those trees grow, you just work your way up,” she said. The proposed project sounds “frightfully expensive,” she added, recommending better use of State Parks money.

Heather Leahy-Mack of Oak Harbor, supporting the project, said the view at Deception Pass is what draws the average person to the scenic spot. When they come around the corner, they are in awe of what they see. Acknowledging that the park has different, varied offerings for different people, she said for a notable percentage of the visitors, the view is the be-all and end-all.

“For many people that’s their only place,” she said.

Another meeting attendee also expressed his support for the proposed project, emphasizing that any timber must be properly managed.

“I’m in total agreement that something needs to take place,” he said.

Smith reiterated that the project is in the exploratory stage. He encouraged the public to offer suggestions on how to proceed.

“We think we need to do something about this,” he said. “We’re leaving a lot of material in here, but we’re opening up the view.”

Smith can be contacted at 360-755-9231 or by e-mail at ted.smith@parks.wa.gov.