The fence that had sealed off a portion of Heritage Park since police evicted the Occupy Olympia encampment Dec. 16 was removed Thursday.

The area is now safe for the public, said Jim Erskine, a spokesman for the state Department of Enterprise Services. The site was closed while the state picked up debris, using a giant magnet to attract metal.

The debris included large screws, nails, tent stakes, bottle caps, coins and other metal objects, according to a news release. Hypodermic needles also were found, Steve Valandra, another spokesman, has said.

Erskine said the Occupy Olympia demonstration has cost Enterprise Services about $28,500, but the bill for the fence hasn’t come in.

That’s not all the state has paid for Occupy Olympia, a tent camp that began as a protest of income inequality. The Washington State Patrol reported last month that its bill is $123,100 for policing the park from its creation Oct. 15 to the time about 30 state troopers in riot gear cleared the camp.

It’s unclear what the cost will be to rehabilitate the grass on the site. That will require further assessment, Erskine said.

He said the ground has puddles, but “I would say overall, it’s in pretty good shape.”

The ground may not be rehabilitated until after Capital Lakefair, which happens in July, Erskine said.

The state allowed Occupy Olympia to exist for two months on state property as a form of free speech. State officials eventually asked campers to leave after a number of police calls about drug use and violence, They refused, and troopers cleared the camp without any arrests.

Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869

mbatcheldor@theolympian.com