Archive
Portland "Nature of Northwest" Profile
1. Type of Facility
This facility is a cooperative agreement between the Forest Service and the State of Oregon to provide one stop service to their customers. This is a multi-agency information center in the Portland metropolitan area which serves as a convenient, "one-stop" distribution center for the dissemination of information about recreational opportunities and the natural/cultural resources pertaining to the public lands.
2. Participating Agencies
Forest Service
State of Oregon
3. Type of Service Offered
The facility operates like a store, and offers maps, guide books, and free information from various agencies to their customers (normally tourists from out of state or local people who wish to take advantage of the park facilities). Customers now can go to one location for information regarding National or State parks, rather than several dispersed locations. The intent of this service is to provide a coordinated effort among the area's public land management agencies to distribute recreation and natural/cultural resource information in the Portland area.
4. Facility Design/Equipment/Staffing/Financing
The State of Oregon provides the space, and the Forest Service reimburses Oregon for the space.
Each agency provides a staff person and needed equipment. A Memorandum of Understanding specifies the responsibilities of each participant.
5. Customer Input
The Center conducts a survey to determine customer satisfaction with their service. They also track the volume of visitors, phone calls and mail received by the center. Originally there were concerns that customers would not adjust to the consolidated location. Instead, they found that not only is it cheaper to provide this consolidated service, but it proved more convenient to customers.
6. Press Coverage
They did not have an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening. However, there has been press coverage in the Oregonian about the services provided.
7. Lessons Learned
Don't let your concerns about change deter you from experimenting with this approach. In this case the change occurred easily and provided better service to customers.
8. Contact for Further Information
Nature of Northwest
PHONE: 503 - 872 - 2750
FAX: 503 - 731 - 4066
Focal Points:
Donald Haines (State of Oregon)
Shannon Hopkins (Forest Service)
Phone # for both: 503 - 872 - 2750
