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Forest Operations Science
What is Forest Operations Science?
The efficient and environmentally
acceptable management, extraction, and transportation of timber for the
manufacture of paper, wood composite, and solid wood products are major
challenges to one of the region's most important industries. The
interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Forest Operations Science at the
University of Maine has been designed to address this challenge by combining
coursework and faculty expertise in forest ecology and management, wood
science, forest engineering, and introductory business administration.
The program aims to develop individuals
(a) with the knowledge and abilities to better manage forest resources
and forest operations in an environment of increasing public scrutiny and
environmental concern; (b) with an understanding of the processes and challenges
related to the efficient and environmentally acceptable growth management,
harvest and primary processing of timber resources; and (c) with an appreciation
for the local, regional, and global competition for forest product raw
materials and markets. Graduates of the program will develop critical
and analytical knowlege and skills related to the efficient, safe, and
environmentally compatible conduct and management of forest operations,
as well as a thorough understanding of the timber production cycle from
the forest through the mill.
Program content.
Recognizing the significance of the forest products industry to society,
as well as the opportunities for professional employment of highly trained
and broadly educated college graduates, the B.S. in Forest Operations Science
is designed to provide students with relevant and marketable knowledge
and proficiencies in subject areas essential to the conduct of forestry
operations from the forest to the woodyard, including: forest growth
and management, timber harvest planning and administration; forest road
planning and construction; timber appraisal and acquisition; and primary
wood conversion and marketing. In so doing, it blends coursework
from the areas of forest science, wood science, forest engineering, and
introductory business administration in the overall context of a broad
education in the liberal arts.
The Forest Operations Science program
is accredited by the Society of American
Foresters and by the Society for
Wood Science and Technology.
Career Opportunities:
Graduates of the Forest Operations Science program will be prepared for
careers in forest land management, industrial and consulting forestry,
and the administration and supervision of wood processing facilities.
Specific career areas include: forest operations forester, wood appraisal
and procurement, forest road planning and design, harvest planning and
administration, and mill supervision and wood products marketing.
Opportunities also exist for graduate education at both the M.S. and Ph.D.
levels in the areas of forest operations, wood science, and forest management.
The Forest Operations Science
Minor in Surveying
Because students in Forest Operations
Science take courses in Surveying (FTY 208), Photogrammetry and Remote
Sensing (FTY 206), GIS (FTY 480), and Forest Roads (FSC 403), they can
receive a minor in Surveying by completing just two additional courses
offered in the Department of Civil Engineering Technology. A Surveying
minor together with the FSC BS provides an additional and very marketable
set of skills to the student’s forest operations background. Consulting
foresters, for example, often develop their businesses around a combination
of forest management, forest operations, and surveying. A strong
background in surveying would also be beneficial to those students pursuing
careers in forest road planning and design on large public and industrial
forestlands.
For information regarding
the B.S. in Forest Operations Science,
contact:
Dr. Robert Rice
School of Forest Resources
University of Maine
119 Nutting Hall
Orono, Maine 04469
Phone: 207-581-2883
Fax: 207-581-2875
E-mail: Rice@umenfa.maine.edu
Website: http://www.forest.umaine.edu/facstaff/facstaff_pages/rice/
Download/view
the movies below:
Forest Operations Science Skidder Bridge
Project (media windows)
Forest Operations Science Skidder Bridge
Project (Quicktime)
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The Annual New England Regional
Council on Forest Engineering
workshop is scheduled for March 9-10,
2009.
Visit the NER.COFE
website for more information!!
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