University forest program seeks workforce manager to train students on $2 million in forestry equipment

The Joint Finance Committee considered a request from the University of Idaho’s Forest Utilization Research (FUR/FIR) program for a workforce development manager to supervise and train students on newly acquired advanced forestry equipment.

Kevin Campbell of the Legislative Services Office presented the program overview and introduced Dennis Becker, dean of the College of Natural Resources and director of the Forest Utilization Research Program. Campbell said FUR has 13.28 authorized FTE with a half‑FTE vacancy and that roughly 90% of the program’s expenditures go to employee wages and benefits.

Director Dennis Becker told the committee FUR manages the university experimental forest, tree farms, the Rangeland Center and a wildland fire center. He said the program recently purchased about $2 million in advanced logging technology using logging proceeds and private industry assistance and that the requested workforce development manager would train student employees to operate and maintain that equipment. Becker said the program’s mission is workforce training and that the manager would enable better training capacity for students entering the forest products industry.

Why it matters: The program provides hands‑on training that fills industry needs for skilled operators and technicians in forestry and wildland fire operations. Committee members had no extensive questions during the hearing and accepted the request for further budget consideration.

Ending: The program’s director said he would continue outreach to the committee; the committee did not take an immediate vote on the request.