Forest Utilization Research program asks for workforce manager to train students on new logging equipment

Kevin Campbell, budget and policy analyst for the Legislative Services Office, presented the budget for the Forest Utilization Research program (FUR), a special program associated with the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources.

Dennis Becker, dean of the College of Natural Resources and director of the program, told the committee the program has 13.28 authorized FTP with one half FTP vacant and manages facilities that include the Pickett Forest Nursery, the University experimental forest, the Mica Creek Watershed project and the Wildland Fire Center. He said the program’s mission emphasizes workforce training.

Becker said the program recently purchased about $2,000,000 in advanced forestry and logging technology using logging proceeds and private industry assistance, and that the requested workforce development manager would supervise and train student employees who will operate that equipment. “This workforce development manager will be really important for helping us to train those students which we currently do not have capacity for,” Becker said.

Campbell’s presentation noted the program’s FY2024 additions (an $18,200 ongoing general‑fund increase for personnel at the wildland fire center), an FY2025 half FTE administrative specialist at the Boise location, and the FY2026 request for partial funding of a workforce development manager to support the new equipment and student training programs.

Committee members asked no substantive follow‑up questions at this hearing. Becker told committee members he would be available at the forestry luncheon later in the day to meet with interested legislators.

There were no formal votes taken on the Forest Utilization Research program during the session.