Under the same roof

COEUR d'ALENE - Three federal agencies are looking to consolidate office space into one building, planned to be located on the U.S. Forest Service's nursery land on Kathleen Avenue.

In an effort to reduce costs and provide more efficient service to the public, Idaho Panhandle National Forest staffers are working toward constructing a new office that will house the IPNF Supervisor's Office, Bureau of Land Management's Coeur d'Alene field office and local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices.

A public meeting to describe the proposal and respond to questions will be held from 5-7 p.m. April 14, at the current IPNF Supervisor's Office at 3815 Schreiber Way in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Construction of the new facility is proposed to begin in 2018 and will be located within the current footprint of the Forest Service's Coeur d'Alene Nursery on Kathleen Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.

Forest Service officials say the planned collocation of three agencies and greater efficiencies gained by a new modern building are expected to save approximately $9.5 million in taxpayer dollars, when compared to continuing current leases.

For more information on the proposed building, please attend the public meeting or contact Idaho Panhandle National Forest Public Affairs Officer Jason Kirchner at 765-7211.