Hoodsport celebrates open park after year-long project

The Port of Hoodsport Commission took a moment at its June 7 meeting to review the May 27 grand reopening for the Hoodsport Community Trail Park and the accompanying disc golf course.

Port of Hoodsport Executive Director Kathleen Wyatt noted that tables had been stocked with discs and packages of pine tree seeds, stamped with the Port of Hoodsport logo, which were given to the public, along with an assortment of drinks and snacks Port Commissioner Terry Brazil had prepared near the entrance of the disc course.

"Among the many people in attendance were those walking their dogs, as well as folks playing on the Hoodsport Hills Disc Golf Course," said Wyatt, who added that a "worldwide" disc golf tournament had been organized at the Shelton Disc Golf Course that same day, so some of those players showed up to play the nine-hole course at the Hoodsport park. "They all loved it. They praised its beauty, and said it was one of the nicest par-3 courses they'd ever seen."

Among those in attendance to help answer questions were port Commissioner Cody Morris and Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Scott Lindgren, and Forest McCullough, owner and operator of the Hoodsport-based Northwest Land and Tree Service. Lindgren and McCullough were available to explain aspects of the park's hazardous tree removal, renovation and reforestation.

At her grand-opening speech May 27, port Commissioner Lori Kincannon thanked Lindgren, McCullough and Wyatt for their "hard work and perseverance" in seeing the yearlong restoration project to remove diseased, dying and fallen hazard trees to completion.

According to Kincannon, Wyatt was instrumental in coordinating the project and "keeping us all on track."

Lindgren and McCullough likewise received plaudits from Kincannon for investing "hours upon hours" of their time into the project "through snow, wind, rain and a pandemic," to the point that "we really would not have been able to do this today without (them)."

Wyatt agreed, citing Lindgren and McCullough's "careful thought and consideration of the public, everyone's safety, the health of the forest, dangerous situations and the aesthetic beauty of the final product."

Kincannon said 3,000 cedar trees were purchased and planted in the park "to help restore the forest and wildlife habitat, and to protect soil and water resources."

The replacement trees are impervious to the laminated root rot known as Poria weirii disease, which had claimed many of their predecessors at the park.

"With continued support and investment, our parks have the potential to make a lasting impact on the environment, ecosystems and economy of our community," Kincannon said.

Kincannon extended her thanks to the community for its patience, through all the construction equipment and logging trucks that moved through the park and along surrounding roads over the past year.

"I'm sure you will believe, like we do, that it was all worth it," to preserve the park's "beautiful gem of a natural landscape," she said.

The Hoodsport Community Trail Park is 3.1 miles west of Hoodsport off state Route 119, while the Hoodsport Hills Disc Golf Course is on the south side of Route 119, adjacent to Lake Cushman Golf Course.

Disc golf clinics, tournaments and other events at the nine-hole disc golf course can be scheduled by submitting an event application to the Port of Hoodsport. The applications are on the port's website under the "Facility Use Events" sub-tab of the "About Us" tab, at http://www.portofhoodsport.us.

Author Bio

Kirk Boxleitner, Reporter

Shelton-Mason County Journal & Belfair Herald
[email protected]