Welcome to the School of Forestry! As a student in our school, you are entering into a profession with a long, proud tradition of service to the state of Arizona, to the Nation, and indeed, to the whole world. Among their many contributions, forestry professionals help improve the environment, contribute to local and regional economies, and provide habitat for wildlife and recreation opportunities for people.

To be an effective forester in the 21st Century is not easy. You need to have a thorough understanding of ecological principles and a mastery of the "tools of the trade", such as dendrology, forest measurements, silviculture, and forest management. Just as importantly, however, you need to be effective in dealing with people. The days of patrolling the backcountry on a horse and dealing more with trees than people are long gone (if they ever existed)! The analytical and communication skills you develop here at NAU may prove to be at least as important as your technical forestry skills.

At NAU, we will offer you the opportunity to obtain the wide range of skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective forester or natural resource manager. While it will be largely up to you to take full advantage of those opportunities, I want to assure you that the faculty and staff of the School of Forestry will do their best to help you succeed. If there is ever anything that you think that I can do personally to help, please feel free to drop by my office (Room 123 in the Southwest Forest Science Complex, bldg 82), give me a call (928-523-5894) or send me an email (James.Allen@nau.edu). Once again, welcome!

Jim Allen
Executive Director