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900 W. Main St.,
PO Box 690 Grangeville, ID 83530
Phone: 208.983.1200 |
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| Kamiah site 'most advantageous' for S.O. office |
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| USFS analysis online at www.fs.usda.gov/nezperce under the heading 'Features' |
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A Forest Service analysis released last week recommends Kamiah as the "most advantageous alternative" to pursue of potential Forest headquarters locations in relocating the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests' future supervisor's Office.
Of the five alternatives reviewed, which included Grangeville and Orofino as possible sites, the analysis recommended renovating and/or expanding existing facilities at the agency's current Kamiah Work Center to provide the necessary office space.
According to a press release, the Nez Perce and Clearwater national forests have been preparing a proposal to administratively combine to save money on duplicative leadership structures with the intent of generating savings of more than $2 million per year in salary that can be used for on-the-ground-management and public service. The recommendation regarding office location is the last piece of analysis necessary to move the combination proposal forward to the Regional and Washington, D.C. offices for approval.
Supervisor for the two forests, Rick Brazell, said he has talked to elected officials and understands their concerns regarding the location of the future Forest Supervisor's Office.
"This is a tough call because both communities that currently host supervisor's offices are special, and both have struggling economies," he said
Leases cost approximately $1 million annually for Nez Perce and Clearwater forests supervisor's offices space, respectively, in Grangeville and Orofino.
Brazell said it is necessary to bring employees from both offices together into a single, centrally located office so they can begin to function as a cohesive team that provides consistent management and service across the two national forests.
In an effort to obtain an objective evaluation, Brazell invited an out-of-area team of experts in a "value analysis" process to identify the best location-- based on efficiency and cost effectiveness -- for the office.
The team identified six potential locations: Grangeville, Kamiah, Orofino, Kooskia, Fenn Ranger Station and Nezperce. After analyzing factors such cost, community services, employee safety, and proximity to the sprawling four-million-acre combined forest, the team concluded renovating existing facilities at Kamiah was the most advantageous alternative.
The team highlighted Kamiah is centrally located and the existing Forest Service facilities are located adjacent to U.S. Highway 12 and highly visible and accessible to the public. The report estimated that renovating and/or expanding existing facilities on a Forest Service compound will save taxpayers an estimated $10-$14 million during a 20-year time frame when compared to the current office leases.
"This savings is huge given the predicted decline in agency budgets," Brazell stated.
Brazell said the Forests are currently studying the value analysis report looking for any omissions or errors that would potentially affect the conclusion. If none is found, an implementation plan will be developed.
Transitioning to a Kamiah office will take time, Brazell explained. When the move is complete, 73 employees are expected to work at the renovated Kamiah facility.
In the meantime, employees continue to work at Orofino, where the current building is leased through April 2014, and Grangeville where the lease expires in October 2022.
Additionally, Brazell committed to maintain Forest Service offices and employees in the communities of Orofino and Grangeville. He said 27 employees, most with the North Fork Ranger District, will remain in Orofino. Another 45 employees, most of whom are associated with the Smokejumper Base and Interagency Dispatch Center, will remain in Grangeville.
He acknowledged the shift in location of the Supervisor's Office has the potential to affect where future employees will choose to live, but doubts few current employees would choose to relocate from their current residences.
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