Plum Creek supports career training for new Foresters, Feb. 22

Plum Creek Foundation is investing in training for future professional foresters to maintain a healthy natural resources workforce. The Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to Southwestern Oregon Community College’s two-year forestry degree program. The donation is being made to the Southwestern Oregon Community Foundation and the College to help pay for full-time faculty to complete to program’s two-year start up. “Our business and industry partners need professionals trained with today’s technology to replace their retiring foresters,” said Dr. Ross Tomlin, Vice President of Instruction & Student Services, Southwestern. “Thanks to companies, including Plum Creek, that value innovation and collaboration, our local students now have affordable, local access to intensive training to complete a two-year forestry degree.” Each student who completes this degree will be eligible for specialized forestry jobs and can transfer as a junior to Oregon State University’s (OSU) bachelor of science professional forestry degree program. In addition, this year the College further expanded the program to offer a two-year natural resources degree with a watershed emphasis. With a full-time professor, Southwestern has students actively studying in each degree program. Two students graduated in 2015 and are currently enrolled at OSU. Second-year students in the program will enter the workforce or transfer to OSU in June.