Forest Technology (A.S.)

Overview

The two-year sustainable resource management Forest Technology program provides students with the skills for a successful career in forestry. Graduates are immediately able to find jobs at the technical level. Forestry agencies and wood using industries employ forest technicians as an important part of their forest management team. Students interested in a baccalaureate degree can easily transition to the Forest Resource Management specialization of the Sustainable Resource Management degree. Courses will involve a mixture of traditional lectures and outside labs, including hands-on learning at the college’s 300-acre George A. Myles Experimental Forest.

This educational program in forest technology leading to the degree in associate of science is a candidate for accreditation by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), under the forest technology standard.

Program Statement of Purpose

The Forest Technology degree at Davis & Elkins College will prepare you to become a forestry professional. We bridge the knowledge and skills of a forestry education with cutting edge use of technology anchored in the principles of sustainability to inspire our students to engage the beauty of the natural world.

Forest Technology Students Receive Training In…

Program Learning Outcomes…

• Recognize and identify woody plants and ecological communities native to the Appalachian region along with the abiotic and biotic challenges facing these systems.
• Demonstrate the ability to accurately and precisely quantify forest resources and develop appropriate sustainable forest management recommendations to achieve landowner objectives.
• Understand the science behind different silvicultural systems and when/how to apply them.
• Become familiar with forest products and their markets in the Appalachian region.
• Understand how to perform timber harvesting operations in a sustainable manner that protects land, water, and air resources.
• Understand the use and application of Geographic Information Science and Systems, and conduct spatial analysis (eg GIS, GPS, etc.) and be familiar with other natural resource technological advances.
• Become knowledgeable of forest ownership and stakeholders and understand how federal, state and local laws and regulations govern the practice of forestry and the process through which forest policy is developed.
• Gain hands on skills needed for forest management, including chainsaw skills, basic first aid, and safety around harvesting equipment.
• Demonstrate proficiency in the preparation and presentation of oral and written communication to both professional and nonprofessional audiences.
• Promote a high level of professional ethics while engaging and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of forestry and in public relations.

Careers in Forestry

At 78% forested, West Virginia is the third most forested state in the US and has the second highest standing hardwood volume.  The wood and forest related industries of WV rely heavily on these forested resources and currently employ over 30,000 people across all 55 counties while contributing over $3 billion annually to the state’s economy.  Highly skilled and experienced technical workers are needed in order to maintain and manage our forests for not only timber production but for many other uses as well such as outdoor recreation, aesthetics, biodiversity, hunting and fishing, water quality, and more.  Davis & Elkins College lies at the heart of WV and in many regards the heart of WV’s forests, located just across from campus is the Monongahela National Forest Supervisor’s Office, while other organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Department of Natural Resources, and multiple private forest industries call Elkins home.

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Ethics

SAF Code of Ethics

Preamble 

Service to society is the cornerstone of any profession. The profession of forestry serves society by fostering stewardship of the world’s forests. Because forests provide valuable resources and perform critical ecological functions, they are vital to the wellbeing of both society and the biosphere.

Members of SAF have a deep and enduring love for the land, and are inspired by the profession’s historic traditions, such as Gifford Pinchot’s utilitarianism and Aldo Leopold’s ecological conscience. In their various roles as practitioners, teachers, researchers, advisers, and administrators, foresters seek to sustain and protect a variety of forest uses and attributes, such as aesthetic values, air and water quality, biodiversity, recreation, timber production, and wildlife habitat.

The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to protect and serve society by inspiring, guiding, and governing members in the conduct of their professional lives. Compliance with the code demonstrates members’ respect for the land and their commitment to the long-term management of ecosystems, and ensures just and honorable professional and human relationships, mutual confidence and respect, and competent service to society.

On joining the SAF, members assume a special responsibility to the profession and to society by promising to uphold and abide by the following: 

Principles and Pledges
 

1. Foresters have a responsibility to manage land for both current and future generations. We pledge to practice and advocate management that will maintain the long-term capacity of the land to provide the variety of materials, uses, and values desired by landowners and society.
    

1. Society must respect forest landowners’ rights and correspondingly, landowners have a land stewardship responsibility to society. We pledge to practice and advocate forest management in accordance with landowner objectives and professional standards, and to advise landowners of the consequences of deviating from such standards.
    

1. Sound science is the foundation of the forestry profession. We pledge to strive for continuous improvement of our methods and our personal knowledge and skills; to perform only those services for which we are qualified; and in the biological, physical, and social sciences to use the most appropriate data, methods, and technology.
    

1. Public policy related to forests must be based on both scientific principles and societal values. We pledge to use our knowledge and skills to help formulate sound forest policies and laws; to challenge and correct untrue statements about forestry; and to foster dialogue among foresters, other professionals, landowners, and the public regarding forest policies.
    

1. Honest and open communication, coupled with respect for information given in confidence, is essential to good service. We pledge to always present, to the best of our ability, accurate and complete information; to indicate on whose behalf any public statements are made; to fully disclose and resolve any existing or potential conflicts of interest; and to keep proprietary information confidential unless the appropriate person authorizes its disclosure.
    

1. Professional and civic behavior must be based on honesty, fairness, good will, and respect for the law. We pledge to conduct ourselves in a civil and dignified manner; to respect the needs, contributions, and viewpoints of others; and to give due credit to others for their methods, ideas, or assistance. 

SAF Code of Ethics