W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

The W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation was one of the first forestry programs in the nation and celebrated its centennial in 2013. The College has three departments: Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Forest Management, and Society and Conservation. There are ten degree programs with 760 undergraduate and 128 graduate students enrolled in the College.

Points of Pride

  • UM is one of the two most prominent universities in the world in fire management.
  • UM is a national leader in parks management.
  • Wildlife Biology is the premier program in the country.
  • The College provides access to four field stations: Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Flathead Lake Biological Station, Bandy Ranch and the Boone and Crockett Club's Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
  • Regents Professor of Ecology Steve Running won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for climate change research. An interdisciplinary minor in climate change was added in 2010.

Your Impact

  • Two of the College's scholarships were created in memory of professors who were beloved members of campus and the community. These scholarships are the Don Bedunah Memorial Scholarship and the Scott Woods Memorial Scholarship.
  • The College also raises funds for the Bud Moore Graduate Research Endowment, in honor of William Robert (Bud) Moore, a well-known forester and conservationist. 
  • The College has two endowed chairs in the Wildlife Biology department: the Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation and the John J. Craighead Chair and Professor of Wildlife Biology.
  • The College is in need of funding for revitalizing and improving operations in the UM Memorial Greenhouse for the reproduction of native plants and reforestation programs.
  • Additional funds are needed to increase potential for success among American Indian students through the support of the innovative Native American Natural Resources Program. 

Thank you for your gift.

Have a question about supporting the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation? Contact our team.