Iron River and Watersmeet Administrative Facility Completed!

IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - The Ottawa National Forest is pleased to announce that new office facilities for the Iron River and Watersmeet Ranger Districts are completed. The two District offices will be moving to the newly constructed Ranger Station adjacent to the Ottawa Visitor Center in Watersmeet, Michigan, beginning May 11, 2010. This move and the co-location of the 2 Ranger District offices is the culmination of several years of work described in the Forest’s Facilities Master Plan.

During the period of May 11 thru May 14, telephone service will not be available to the Watersmeet District Office. Additionally, changes to phone system may impact telephone service to the Visitor Center and the J.W. Toumey Nursery. We anticipate all telephone service will be restored no later than Monday, May 17. Anyone needing to contact the Forest Service is encouraged to call our Ironwood office at 906-932-1330 for assistance.

Customer service and public information will be available to the Iron River community through a partnership with the Iron River Chamber of Commerce. Beginning early to mid-June, Forest Service personnel will be co-located with the Iron River Chamber of Commerce and a local area telephone number will be established to assist Iron River residents with their Forest Service business.

As we transition to our new administrative facilities, we look forward to sharing news and information with you. We are currently planning for an open house and tours of the new facilities later this year. For updated information regarding the move and our future plans for an open house, please visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa.