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Forestry degree program shows growth at A&M
3/18/03
By KENNETH KESNER Times Staff Writerkesner@htimes.com
Huntsville Times
There are 43 black employees among the 2,743 foresters at work for the U.S. Forest Service. More than half of the 43 are graduates of Alabama A&M University.
A few are back in Huntsville today for a conference celebrating A&M accreditation by the Society of American Foresters. In July of 2002, A&M became the only historically black university to earn accreditation in forestry.
"This is a program for the United States," said Dr. George Brown, chief of A&M's Center for Forestry and Ecology. "What we are now providing is a path . . . for African-Americans to get into the profession."
Tony Dixon said Monday that he was a little surprised when he found himself on that path.
Dixon, class of 1992, was a marketing student when someone pointed him toward a forestry pilot program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service. He went to work for the government right after graduation and found himself in the Routt National Forest in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
For an "urban kid" who grew up in Atlanta, and as one of few blacks in his field, being in the country -- even upscale ski-resort country -- was way outside his comfort zone.
But Dixon said the Forest Service has always been supportive.
"I've had a rewarding career," said Dixon, who today is a legislative analyst in Washington, D.C. "I'm still optimistic about what's to come."
U.S. Forestry Service Chief Dale Bosworth will soon be looking for a few more men and women like Dixon. Bosworth said Monday that over the next five years more than 40 percent of his staff will be eligible for retirement. Ten percent can retire now.
Programs like A&M's gives him a chance to recruit a work force that reflects the diversity of the population, he said. That in turn promotes the diversity of thought needed to keep pace with the public's changing perceptions and values about land management.
It's also important to business, said George O'Brien, a senior vice president with International Paper, which partners with A&M's program to provide program support, scholarships and jobs.
The public now demands more of foresters, including greater awareness of the scientific and ecological issues, he said.
"We're a global company," said O'Brien. "As we continue to grow, we must adapt to international business concerns."
The Society of American Foresters professional accreditation assures both employers and the public that the men and women managing the country's forests have the knowledge and skills to do the job, said Mark Rey, undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment who oversees the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Accreditation is also a testament to the quality of A&M's program and the hard work of many people over the years, said A&M President John T. Gibson.
"This is a labor of love."
The A&M program dates from 1975 and a bachelor's of science in timber harvesting management, said Brown. It was renamed the Forestry Operations Management Program in 1985. Three years after that, Brown, with support from the Forest Service, revised it to a bachelor's in forestry, with options in forest management and forest science.
That's about the time that International Paper became involved and A&M became host to a U.S. Forest Service office and research station.
There are now 65 students in the A&M forestry program, said Brown. The accreditation should attract more; he's expecting to average around 80. There are eight faculty positions.
News
Forestry degree program shows growth at A&M
3/18/03
By KENNETH KESNER Times Staff Writerkesner@htimes.com
Huntsville Times
There are 43 black employees among the 2,743 foresters at work for the U.S. Forest Service. More than half of the 43 are graduates of Alabama A&M University.
A few are back in Huntsville today for a conference celebrating A&M accreditation by the Society of American Foresters. In July of 2002, A&M became the only historically black university to earn accreditation in forestry.
"This is a program for the United States," said Dr. George Brown, chief of A&M's Center for Forestry and Ecology. "What we are now providing is a path . . . for African-Americans to get into the profession."
Tony Dixon said Monday that he was a little surprised when he found himself on that path.
Dixon, class of 1992, was a marketing student when someone pointed him toward a forestry pilot program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service. He went to work for the government right after graduation and found himself in the Routt National Forest in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
For an "urban kid" who grew up in Atlanta, and as one of few blacks in his field, being in the country -- even upscale ski-resort country -- was way outside his comfort zone.
But Dixon said the Forest Service has always been supportive.
"I've had a rewarding career," said Dixon, who today is a legislative analyst in Washington, D.C. "I'm still optimistic about what's to come."
U.S. Forestry Service Chief Dale Bosworth will soon be looking for a few more men and women like Dixon. Bosworth said Monday that over the next five years more than 40 percent of his staff will be eligible for retirement. Ten percent can retire now.
Programs like A&M's gives him a chance to recruit a work force that reflects the diversity of the population, he said. That in turn promotes the diversity of thought needed to keep pace with the public's changing perceptions and values about land management.
It's also important to business, said George O'Brien, a senior vice president with International Paper, which partners with A&M's program to provide program support, scholarships and jobs.
The public now demands more of foresters, including greater awareness of the scientific and ecological issues, he said.
"We're a global company," said O'Brien. "As we continue to grow, we must adapt to international business concerns."
The Society of American Foresters professional accreditation assures both employers and the public that the men and women managing the country's forests have the knowledge and skills to do the job, said Mark Rey, undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment who oversees the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Accreditation is also a testament to the quality of A&M's program and the hard work of many people over the years, said A&M President John T. Gibson.
"This is a labor of love."
The A&M program dates from 1975 and a bachelor's of science in timber harvesting management, said Brown. It was renamed the Forestry Operations Management Program in 1985. Three years after that, Brown, with support from the Forest Service, revised it to a bachelor's in forestry, with options in forest management and forest science.
That's about the time that International Paper became involved and A&M became host to a U.S. Forest Service office and research station.
There are now 65 students in the A&M forestry program, said Brown. The accreditation should attract more; he's expecting to average around 80. There are eight faculty positions.
