WDFW Spokane office will interrupt services for move

OLYMPIA - Services provided by the eastern regional office of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will be interrupted July 18-22 while staff moves to a new building in Spokane Valley.

Walk-in access as well as telephone and e-mail communications will not be available those days at the old office in north Spokane that WDFW has occupied for more than 40 years.

"Some disruption is inevitable, but we're going to try to get back up and running as soon as possible," said John Andrews, WDFW regional director.

Emergency calls or e-mail messages that would otherwise be directed to the Spokane office instead can be directed to the WDFW deputy director at 360-902-2650 (pecklwp@dfw.wa.gov).

Andrews said the department identified the need for new space for its eastern regional office more than a decade ago, noting that the current location at N. 8702 Division St. accommodates just 15 of nearly 40 local WDFW employees.

Most Spokane-area WDFW staff have been working out of leased space or home offices, he said.

The new building in Spokane Valley will accommodate up to 50 staff and provide more safe and efficient customer service and staff support, he said. Located at 2315 N. Discovery Place in the Mirabeau Point development, the new 14,600-square-foot office was built with a $3.9 million approved in 2003 by the state Legislature.

A dedication ceremony and tours of the new building will be held August 4, with a public open house continuing through August 5. Details will be announced shortly, Andrews said.

The Spokane headquarters of WDFW's eastern region serves as a hub for the 10 easternmost counties of the state, from Canada to Oregon, from Idaho to the Columbia Basin.