PUBLIC LANDS --  A pilot “on demand” phone interpretation service to enhance public service to non-native English speakers has been announced by the Pacific Northwest Region of the USDA Forest Service for its offices in Oregon and Washington.

Actually, it was announced last week to the media before it was announced to the forest offices around the region.   I checked with several offices, including the Colville National Forest, and the information below was as newsy to them as it was to me:

“We are committed to improving public access to Forest Service programs to foster respectful and inclusive interactions with the people and communities we serve,” said Jim Peña, Pacific Northwest Regional Forester in Portland. “We want to ensure everyone has access to the information they need to fully participate.”

The new phone service offers immediate language interpretation at Forest Service offices, visitor centers and in the outdoors when phone service is available throughout national forests in Washington and Oregon. Visitors will be asked to identify their language, and Forest Service staff will call an interpretation specialist.

The pilot contract held with TransPerfect provides interpretation for 170 languages. Call data will be assessed to determine the need for future services.

Approximately one in five people nationwide have limited English proficiency, the Forest Service says.

The Pacific Northwest Region consists of 16 National Forests, 59 District Offices, a National Scenic Area, and a National Grassland. These management units comprise 24.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington and employ approximately 3,550 employees.

So far, there's no word in any language when this service will be available region-wide.

 

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