Local News

Local Forest Service Offices closed on May 27

May 12, 2015

Most local Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest offices will be closed on May 27 to accommodate training for front desk receptionists. The Wenatchee River Ranger District office in Leavenworth will be the only office open to the public that day.

“It is very important for our front desk personnel to receive training so they can better serve the public,” said Deputy Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken. “To make it possible for all of our frontline personnel to attend, we decided to close our offices while this one-day training occurs.”

Front desk receptionists will receive training on customer service, interacting with public and media, and more. They will also receive information about current issues or topics, such as Travel Management and Forest Plan Revision, to better enable them to answer questions about these programs.

There are fiscal obligations that require specially trained personnel with access to permitting processes at national forest office front desks, so not just anyone can step in to cover for these individuals when they are unavailable, only equally trained employees.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience on May 27 when all but one of our offices will be closed,” Kuiken said. “We encourage forest users to visit our offices on May 26 and again on May 28 during normal business hours.”