Forestry students prepare to manage forest ecosystems for their full suite of values: environmental, economic, and social. Forestry is an interdisciplinary field, with classes in the biological, physical, and social sciences.
Cal Poly Humboldt is located in the heart of the coast redwood forest, which provides outdoor classrooms for many of the department’s forestry courses. Students can walk to the nearby community forest, and classes visit numerous other public and privately-owned forest lands. Most forestry classes incorporate field trips, allowing students to interact with professional forest managers and landowners, immerse themselves in the field, apply lecture concepts, and learn field techniques.
Graduates are well prepared for professional opportunities within a broad range of forestry-related careers in forest management, fire management, forest protection and restoration, watershed management, resource planning, research, and education. Graduates hold staff positions with federal and state agencies, consulting forestry firms, the forest products industry, Tribes, and environmental organizations.
Forest operations students learn about the physical actions which change the forest, altering structure, composition, condition, or value to meet society’s needs for clean air and water, forest products, wildlife, recreation and other benefits. Forest operations also include the development and use of the infrastructure, primarily roads and quarries, that support management activities.
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.
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