Olympic National Forest is switching the maintenance of Forest Service roads to a private contractor for three years starting Thursday.
The switch from using government workers for the first time is designed to save money, said Cheryl Emch, who coordinates competitive sourcing for the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest.
Using a private contractor will save $140,000 per year — or $420,000 during the three-year life of the contract, Emch said.
“The whole objective is to give the taxpayer the best value for their dollar,” she said.
The decision to contract with a commercial contractor was made in late January following a study to determine who could provide the best service for the least amount of money.
Six Olympic National Forest workers will be transferred to other regions or retire because of the change, according to Randolph Dunn, Olympic National Forest administrative officer.
Emch said most of the $420,000 savings will come through personnel and materials and supplies costs.
