The campgrounds at South Whidbey State Park will be closed this year for safety reasons, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announced Friday.

The action addresses concerns posed by failing and diseased old-growth trees in the campground portion of the 347-acre park, according to a new release.

“We are very sorry for any inconvenience to our customers who have camping reservations at the park, but we are concerned about their safety,” said Don Hoch, state parks director. “Being out in old forests always carries a degree of risk for outdoor users, but camping means people are spending extended periods under the trees, which potentially exposes them to greater danger. Our first priority is to keep our visitors safe.”

The problem was discovered as park staff began preparing for the summer season. They came across several large Douglas fir trees in the campground that had snapped and fallen across campsites, the news release said. A tree assessment by a state forest pathologist found “advanced levels of heart rot in the stems of large old-growth trees.”

“Many of the remaining old trees in the campground also were found to exhibit characteristics, suggesting that they also are infected with advanced levels of heart rot, a condition that can result in falling trees and limbs,” the news release said.

The closure was supported by Save the Trees, a non-profit organization that has worked on conservation campaigns at the parks since 1977. Group officials called the move a “necessary step.”

“The campground was opened in the early 1960s amid the mature and old-growth trees, which gave campers a wonderful wooded and secluded experience,” said Sue Ellen White, vice president of Save the Trees. “But the interaction of these old trees with human activity over the past half-century may not have been the best for the forest and some of the big trees are failing. It’s no longer a safe situation for campers.”

The closure will likely have an economic effect on South Whidbey but it may also open opportunities for education and day-use activities at the park, according to organization leaders. Calyx School is currently at the park and offers an outdoor learning curriculum for elementary students.

Attempts to reach state parks officials for additional comment were unsuccessful Friday before press time.

Campers with reservations for the 2015 season are urged to telephone the state parks camping reservation center at 1-888-CAMPOUT (1-888-226-7688) for assistance in transferring reservations to a campsite in another park or to receive a full refund for cancellation.

The park remains open for day use. Director Hoch said State Parks will begin a site-planning process late this summer or early fall to determine the future of the campground portion of the park, according to the news release.