College of Forestry and Conservation

Perry J. Brown, Dean
James Burchfield, Associate Dean

Natural resources education began at The University of Montana in 1913 with the founding of the School of Forestry. In the intervening 91 years, the School’s educational programs expanded and evolved into the most interdisciplinary, actionoriented conservation training in the world. In 2003 the name of the School of Forestry changed to the College of Forestry and Conservation to demonstrate this evolution and to identify the faculty’s commitment to the integration of multiple natural resources disciplines into an extraordinary undergraduate experience.

The College provides four undergraduate degrees in the following majors: Forestry, Recreation Management, Resource Conservation, and Wildlife Biology. These programs are housed in three new departments: Ecosystem Sciences and Conservation, Society and Conservation, and Forest Management. These departments share responsibilities for the fulfillment of educational requirements of the aforementioned undergraduate degree programs, with the exception of the Wildlife Biology program, which is designed as a joint program with the Division of Biological Sciences.

Present day land management challenges range from intensive resource utilization to organism and ecosystem preservation. Resource professionals need a broad range of talents and perspectives to solve present day problems and quickly adapt to address an even more complex future. Our instructional programs produce both specialists and broadly trained generalists, all of whom understand the complex interrelationships between resource use and quality of human environment.

All instructional programs emphasize interaction with practicing professionals and opportunities to observe and participate in current field resource management situations. Field trips are offered in many courses. In addition, students in several options may obtain intensive field experience through on-site course offerings in a camp setting at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest.

High School Preparation: Students planning to enter the College of Forestry and Conservation should attain a sound high school background in English, social studies, mathematics, biology, and other sciences. Entering freshmen and non-resident transfer students will be admitted to the College of Forestry and Conservation in accordance with general university admissions requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index. Resident transfer students must have a grade point average of 2.0 or above to be admitted to the College of Forestry and Conservation.

University students wanting to change their major to the College of Forestry and Conservation must have a grade point average of 2.0 or above.

Students are required to consult with their advisors before each registration period. New students needing an advisor and current students who wish to change advisors should contact the Dean's Office. Students are paired with an advisor who matches their academic and professional interests but may change their advisor at any time, and often do as their specific interests develop or change. Students are responsible for fulfilling the published requirements. Students are urged to solicit the advisor's help at all times.

Special Degree Requirements

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.

Degree candidates must complete successfully a curriculum that includes:

  1. A minimum of three courses primarily designed to develop communication skills with at least one each in the areas of oral communications and written communications including an upper-division writing course.
  2. A minimum of three quantitative courses CS 172, BADM 201, FOR 201, PSYC 220, SOC 202, WBIO 240, ANTH 381, and MATH 117 or higher, but not to include MAT 005, MATH 100, 107, 109, 130 or 132.
  3. Except for the B.S. in Wildlife Biology, a course of study containing not less than 36 traditional letter-graded semester credits in the College of Forestry and Conservation, of which a minimum of 20 credits must be taken while an approved major within the College of Forestry and Conservation.
  4. Except for the B.S. in Wildlife Biology, a minimum of 400 hours of work experience appropriate to the degree being sought and to the student's career objectives, as determined by the forestry faculty.
  5. An overall course of study approved by the forestry faculty selected from one of the following academic program areas:
    • Forest Resources Management Option in Forestry (BSF)
    • Forest Operations and Applied Restoration Option in Forestry (BSF)
    • Range Resources Management Option in Forestry (BSF)
    • Conservation Option in Resource Conservation (BSRC) Nature-based Tourism Option in Recreation Management (BSRM)
    • Recreation Resource management Option in Recreation Management (BSRM)
    • Terrestrial Option in Wildland Restoration (BSWR) Aquatic Option in Wildland Restoration (BSWR)
    • Terrestrial Option in Wildlife Biology (BSWB)
    • Aquatic Option in Wildlife Biology (BSWB)
    • Honors Emphasis in Wildlife Biology (BSWB) Each student will select an academic option, preferably during the first or early in the second year. A coursework program will be worked out for each student with an advisor, according to the guidelines and any additional requirements set forth in the current University Catalog.
  6. All students in any of the academic program areas in the College of Forestry and Conservation will complete, and pass with a D or better, a core curriculum that includes:
    • Natural Resources Measurements Summer Camp (except Wildlife Biology students--see Wildlife Biology section of this catalog) (if a student enters the University with 60 or more transfer credits, he/she will be exempt)
    • A course in ecology (FOR 330, FOR 462, BIOL 340/341 or transferred equivalent)
    • A course in natural resources policy (FOR 422, RECM 370, WBIO 410, WBIO 475, or transferred equivalent)
    • A course in multidisciplinary natural resources management planning (FOR 480 or transferred equivalent)
    • The Upper-division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing an upper-division writing course from the approved list in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog. See index.
  7. To continue coursework in the College of Forestry and Conservation beyond the freshman year, the student must maintain a cumulative grade average of 2.00 (C) or above. To graduate, the student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (C) for all forestry courses taken as well as a cumulative 2.00 overall average (2.5 for wildlife biology), and pass all required classes with a grade of C- or higher.

Bachelor of Science in Forestry

This degree focuses on producing graduates who manage forests and grasslands and the multiple products and services coming from them. The degree offers options in Forest Operations and Applied Restoration, Forest Resources Management and Range Resources Management. The Forest Resources Management option is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Each option is focused on blending natural and management science with issues of policy and social science. Graduates are employed by a variety of public agencies and private companies and non-governmental organizations and many graduates pursue graduate studies.

Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management

This degree prepares graduates for professional positions nature-based recreation experiences and park resources for public land management agencies, nonprofit organizations, or the nature-based tourism industry. The degree offers options in Recreation Resource Management and Nature-Based Tourism. The Recreation Resources Management degree is accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association and the American Association for Leisure and Recreation. Given the highly social nature of recreation, parks, and tourism, this degree blends substantive work in both the social and natural sciences to compliment a focus on natural resource and tourism management. Most graduates find employment with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, or private businesses, but graduates also have the preparation needed to pursue graduate study in a variety of areas.

Bachelor of Science in Resource Conservation

This degree provides a broad liberal education with an emphasis on natural resources and environment. The degree offers three options in Conservation, Terrestrial Sciences, and Land and People. The Conservation option allows the student to design a program with guidance by an advisor while the other two options are somewhat more prescribed. This degree allows students with educational or career objectives not fitting within the professional curricula of the College to develop a program focused on natural resources and environment. Graduates often seek career and graduate school opportunities that combine the environment with another field such as environmental law, business, or education.

Bachelor of Science in Wild Land Restoration

This degree provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply a broad spectrum of biological, physical, and social sciences to ecological restoration., which is the fastest growing area of focus and employment in natural resource management Students completing the major in Wild Land Restoration will be qualified to work in a number of fields concentrating on restoration or ecologically-based management of forest, grassland, riverine, and riparian ecosystems in both the private and public sector. Students will be able to choose either the Aquatic or Terrestrial Restoration Ecology options. A minor in Wild Land Restoration is also offered.

Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology

The College of Forestry and Conservation cooperates with the Division of Biological Sciences in offering a degree program in wildlife biology. Wildlife biology is the study of wild vertebrate animals, their habitats and their environment. The undergraduate curriculum constitutes pre-professional training for employment in fish and game conservation, ad provides an excellent background in general ecology. Since few employment opportunities exist in wildlife management or research for students with the bachelor's degree, wildlife biology students should plan to continue their education, at least through the master's degree, to qualify for most state and federal wildlife management or research positions. Three curricula are offered in the wildlife biology program: Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Honors. Curriculum requirements are found under the Wildlife Biology section in this catalog.

Minor in Wilderness Studies

Descriptions of this minor and of the Wilderness and Civilization program are found under the Wilderness Studies section of this catalog.

Graduate Programs

The College of Forestry and Conservation offers these graduate degrees: Master of Science in Resource Conservation, Master of Science in Forestry, Master of Ecosystem Management, Master of Science in Wildlife Biology, Master of Science in Recreation Management, and Doctor of Philosophy. For further information on these programs contact the Graduate School.

Faculty

Professors

  • Paul B. Alaback, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1980
  • Donald J. Bedunah, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1982
  • Jill M. Belsky, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1991
  • William T. Borrie, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995
  • Perry J. Brown, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971 (Dean)
  • James A. Burchfield, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1991 (Associate Dean)
  • Edwin J. Burke, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1978
  • Thomas H. DeLuca, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1993
  • Carl Fiedler, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1990 (Research)
  • Wayne A. Freimund, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1993 (Chair of Society and Conservation)
  • Paul Krausman, Ph.D., University of California-Santa Cruz, 1993
  • L. Scott Mills, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1993
  • Norma Nickerson, Ph.D., University of Utah, 1989 (Research)
  • Daniel H. Pletscher, Ph.D., Yale University, 1982 (Director, Wildlife Biology Program)
  • Donald F. Potts, Ph.D., State University of New York, 1979
  • LLoyd Queen, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1988
  • Steven W. Running, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1979
  • Stephen F. Siebert, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1990
  • Diana Six, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, 1997
  • Ronald H. Wakimoto, Ph.D., University of California, 1978 (Chair of Society and Conservation)
  • Scott Woods, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 2001

Associate Professors

  • Elizabeth Crone, Ph.D., Duke University, 1995
  • Lisa A. Eby, Ph.D., Duke University, 2001
  • John M. Goodburn, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2004
  • R. Neil Moisey, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1997
  • David Naugle, Ph.D., South Dakota State University, 1998
  • Martin Nie, Ph.D., Northern Arizona, 1998
  • Mike Patterson, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
  • State University, 1993
  • Diana Six, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, 1997

Assistant Professors

  • David Affleck, Ph.D., Yale University, 2006
  • Keith Bosak, Ph.D., University of Georgia (Athens), 2006
  • Woodam Chung, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 2002
  • Cory Cleveland, Ph.D., University of Colorado-Boulder, 2001
  • Solomon Dobrowski, Ph.D., University of California (Davis), 2005
  • Elizabeth D. Dodson, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 2004
  • Mark Hebblewhite, Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2006
  • Cara Nelson, Ph.D., University of Washington, 2004
  • Carl Seielstad, Ph.D., University of Montana, 2003
  • Tyron Venn, Ph.D., University of Queensland, 2004
  • Laurie Yung, Ph.D., University of Montana, 2003

Adjunct Faculty

Research Professors

  • Carol Brewer, P:h.D., University of Wyoming, 1993
  • Thomas DeLuca, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1993
  • Michael Mitchell, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1995
  • Anna Sala, Ph.D., University of Barcelona, 1992

Research Associate Professors

  • Rich Harris, Ph.D., University of Montana, 1993
  • John Kimble, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1995
  • Peter Kolb, Ph.D., University of Idaho, 1996
  • Christopher Sevheen, Ph.D., University of Montana, 1981

Research Assistant Professors

  • James Riddering, Ph.D., university of Montana, 2004
  • Kathy Tonnessen, Ph.D., University of California-Berkley, 1982

Emeritus Professors

  • David H. Jackson, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1975
  • Alan McQuillan, Ph.D., University of Montana, 1981
  • Stephen F. McCool, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1970
  • Thomas J. Nimlos, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1959
  • Robert D. Pfister, Ph.D., Washington State University, 1972
  • Robert R. Ream, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1963
  • Robert W. Steele, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1975
  • Jack Ward Thomas, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1972
  • Hans R. Zuuring, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1975 (Chair of Forest Management)