Cal Poly Humboldt is located in the heart of the coast redwood forest. This environment provides outdoor classrooms for more than half of the forestry courses, with access to the nearby community forest, Schatz Tree farm, and other public and private forest lands. Field trips illustrate lecture concepts and teach field techniques.
Because Humboldt County also has a large forest products industry, Humboldt is an excellent place to study the resolution of environmental issues with economic concerns. Students and faculty interact with professional forest managers and researchers of the region both in the classroom and in the field.
Forestry is an interdisciplinary field, drawing from the biological, physical, social, and managerial sciences. The curriculum aids in understanding the biological complexities of the forest and the interactions between the forest and social and economic demands.
The program provides sufficient background and depth of education to give a sound basis for professional growth within a broad range of forestry-related careers. Our graduates work toward careers in forest management, wildland fire management, forest protection and restoration, watershed management, resource planning, and research and education. Most of our graduates hold staff positions with federal and state agencies, consulting foresters, the forest products industry, Tribes, or with environmental organizations.
In the Forest Hydrology Option, we investigate the way that careful forest management can preserve the flow and quality of water across the landscape and ensure the health of aquatic ecosystems. Courses in forest hydrology are supplemented with work in geology, geomorphology, physics and soil physics as well as a course in calculus, to improve your quantitative skills. Students that take a second course in calculus (not required) are eligible for federal positions (USFS, USGS, etc.) in the hydrologist series. This program meets the qualifications for “Forester” in federal employment. This program is accredited by Society of American Foresters and meets educational standards to apply for California Registered Professional Forester (RPF) licensing.
Visit the Department of Forestry, Fire, and Rangeland Management website for more information.
Return to: