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University program seeks workforce manager to train students on $2M in logging technology
Summary
The Forest Utilization Research program told the Joint Finance Committee it seeks partial funding for a workforce development manager to train students on recently acquired advanced forestry equipment and support student employees at the University of Idaho experimental forest.
Kevin Campbell, the Legislative Services Office analyst, presented the budget for the Forest Utilization Research program, which is part of the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources. The program had 13.28 authorized full‑time positions at the time of the presentation, with roughly a half‑FTE vacant, Campbell said.
Dennis Becker, dean of the College of Natural Resources and director of the Forest Utilization Research Program, told the committee the program manages the University of Idaho experimental forest, tree farms, the Pickett Forest Nursery, the Mica Creek Watershed Project and the recently created Wildland Fire Center. Becker said the program “strives to be a workforce‑training program” and that the requested workforce development manager would supervise and train student employees on newly acquired equipment.
Becker said the program purchased about $2 million in advanced logging technology funded by logging proceeds and private industry donations; the requested position is meant to create capacity to operate that equipment safely and to expand student workforce training. The FY2026 request is for partial funding of a workforce development manager; detailed cost and salary figures for the request were included in the legislative budget book materials cited to the committee.
No formal action was taken. Becker thanked the committee and said he would attend a forestry luncheon later in the day.
