A New Beginning

Our story began when the University of Montana launched a fledgling initiative to offer winter short courses for newly hired U.S. Forest Service rangers in 1908.

Today, we are the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, a globally recognized leader that takes a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to forest management, wildlife biology, systems ecology, wildland recreation and numerous related disciplines.

We are an academic institution whose alumni and faculty regularly set records for research productivity, shape management decisions, inform legislation and propel pragmatic solutions to problems facing the American West.

And we are poised to live our mission on an even greater scale.

Having long ago outgrown our iconic Forestry Building that was constructed in 1922 to serve just 140 students — today we have nearly 1,000 students enrolled — we are building a new landmark facility. Not just a building, it will be a hub that emphasizes our broad excellence and the role we play in the future of conservation and sustainability efforts across the state and around the globe.

Be Part of the Solution

Your support ensures the facility will serve as a catalyst for cross-disciplinary interaction and innovation, uniting students, faculty, alumni, community members and conservation professionals with collaborative learning, meeting, research and laboratory spaces. Read this digital brochure or contact us to learn more.