A tree thinning project has been proposed at Rhododendron campground and around the perimeter of the ballfields at the county park south of Coupeville.

The project would reportedly remove hazardous trees while helping improve the forest’s overall health, Island County Parks Superintendent Terri Arnold told the county commissioners at a Wednesday staff session.

“It will also help the kids who participate in baseball and soccer, as it will allow for more light in the typically shaded and dark outfield areas,” Arnold said.

The tree thinning project should also help with turf maintenance.

“Right now, the shade makes it difficult to keep the grass in healthy condition for participating sports teams who rely heavily on the Central Whidbey sports complex,” Arnold added.

The campground was slated to open April 1, but the opening was postponed because of downed trees and hanging limbs, often referred to as widow makers.

“It really is for safety,” Arnold said. “If you drive through the campground, I think you’ll get a real sense of the devastation from the winter winds.”

The parks superintendent has discussed the project with Ron Godwin, owner of Washington Timberland Management, the company that would facilitate the tree thinning project. Godwin told the commissioners that the project would entail selectively thinning around the baseball field and problem areas at the campground, removing a maximum of one out of every three trees.

Foresters from the Department of Natural Resources met on site in March and determined that thinning would be the single most effective method on that parcel of land to achieve better forest health and provide increased safety for groups using the campground and ballfield complex.

The project is not the same one Arnold proposed two years ago, but simply a project to improve forest health and contribute to the safety of Rhododendron campers. The original proposal for more extensive cutting prompted community opposition and was quickly withdrawn.

Arnold, a certified arborist able to empathize with tree lovers, stressed that she is extremely aware of the public sentiment toward tree thinning. Management of public property, however, is a very challenging job and must be approached in the most sensitive way, she added.

“If a visitor got hurt from a falling limb or tree, it would be a devastating situation since it is preventable at this point,” Arnold said.

Godwin said that trees in certain areas are too thick and are in competition for water. In order for adequate sun and air to make their way into and through the forest, trees will need to be removed.

Godwin also identified several areas where large sections of trees are affected by root rot, making them potentially hazardous.

The county would receive 50 to 60 percent of the money generated by the sale of the timber.

“You’ll probably get $3,000 an acre in your pocket, after costs,” Godwin said. The campground unit being eyed totals eight acres and the parcel around the perimeter of the ball fields is approximately seven acres.

The commissioners stressed that public outreach would be crucial before any formal plans are made for what would be a four-week project. Arnold said the campground will probably remain closed until the thinning project is approved.

The project would most likely begin at the ballfield perimeter, moving to the proposed parking area adjacent to the ballfields, and finish at the campground.

“By starting with the ballfield perimeter, the public will have an opportunity to observe the type of selective thinning process being used by Washington Timberland Management,” Arnold said. “No trees between the campground and the ballfields, the area where the old growth and Heritage Forest Designation occurs, will be touched.”