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Wildland Firefighting Minor

Program Codes: WFM
Minor

Demand for wildland firefighters is expected to grow in response to more intense and frequent wildfires, particularly at the urban-wildland interface. The U.S. Forest Service spends over $1 billion annually with 47 million homes at “high risk” of loss from wildfire. The development of this minor is a direct response to this need with entry-level firefighters earning ~$40,000 during a six-month fire season.

Paul Smith’s College has a long history of training wildland firefighters dating back to the late 1940s.This includes both formal courses dedicated to wildland firefighting and informal relationships with organizations such as NY Department of Environmental Conservation and the US Forest Service. This minor formalizes our relationship with DEC and includes their commitment to offer S-130 and S-190 to students taking FOR 360 as part of the Wildland Firefighting minor. Successful completion of S-130 and S-190 result in the student being issued a “red card”, the basic credential needed to be on a fire crew.

The goal of this minor is to give students both the hard skills related to wildland firefighting, and the ecological and technological underpinnings to enter wildland firefighting careers.

Contact the Department Chairperson

Minor Requirements:

Forest Production Processes
Course Code:
FOR 206
Course Description:
This course is designed to develop knowledge of and experience in safe and efficient practices related to forest production processes. In addition, students will study the interrelationships between timber and lumber production, including log bucking, scaling and grading, lumber manufacturing and grading, and lumber and grade recovery. The emphasis is on understanding systems related to forest production processes, from harvesting to lumber manufacturing and drying. (Two (2) 40 hour weeks). Prerequisites: MAT 125 Algebra and FOR 101 Intro to Forestry and FOR 110 Dendrology.
Credit:
2
Prerequisites:
Prereq: (MAT 125 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00 Or MAT 125 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: TR Min Credits: 3.00 Or Accuplacer Math Placement 200.0000 And FOR 110 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00 And FOR 101 Lecture Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00)
x
FOR 206
Forest Production Processes
2
Equipment: Small Engines Repair
Course Code:
FOR 210
Course Description:
This course is designed to train forestry students in the operating principles and maintenance of 2-stroke and 4-stroke cycle single cylinder gasoline engines. Lectures, videos, and discussions center on the disassembly, assembly and operating principles of small engines. Students learn the importance of lubricating oils and the application of scheduled maintenance to promote long engine life. (3 hours lab).
Credit:
2
x
FOR 210
Equipment: Small Engines Repair
2
Forest Health
Course Code:
FOR 231
Course Description:
This course examines the major factors that can affect the health of forest ecosystems. Major topics will include forest insect pests, diseases, and the impact of fire on forest communities. The concept of "forest health" will be discussed and the important concepts of forest ecology that relate to forest health will be covered. (3 hour lecture). Completes General Education Requirement:AR-R.
Credit:
3
x
FOR 231
Forest Health
3
Fire Ecology and Management
Course Code:
FOR 360
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to the variety of roles that fires play in the function of ecosystems around the U.S. and world, and how human actions modify those roles, ?for better or for worse.? Fire ecology is a multi-facetted, regionally- and contextually- variable topic, and fire management is a complex and evolving field. The focus of this class is on fires? ecological effects, but the course is also designed to integrate fire behavior and flame and smoke management topics covered in the National Wildfire Coordinating Group S-130 and S-190 courses to be taken concurrently, part of nationally-recognized wildland firefighter training certification (?red card?). Prerequisites: BIO 210 General Ecology or FOR 310 Forest Ecology Completes General Education Requirements: AR-I
Credit:
3
Prerequisites:
Prereq: (BIO 210 Lecture Min Grade: D Min Credits: 4.00 Or FOR 310 Lecture Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00)
x
FOR 360
Fire Ecology and Management
3
Advanced Silviculture
Course Code:
FOR 420
Course Description:
Building on knowledge gained in FOR 260 (Silviculture), the course emphasizes the relationship between the science of silviculture and the social, political, ecological, technological, and physiographic environments within which silviculture is practiced. The course is not, therefore, simply a more in-depth treatment of aspects of elementary silviculture, but rather a treatment of silviculture in a broader context. The course addresses innovative silvicultural practices, the relationships between silviculture and contemporary forestry issues, and the effects of silvicultural practices on forest values and uses. Regional and international silvicultural practices and issues are also discussed. In addition, the relationships between silviculture and non-timber forest management objectives, including aesthetics and non-timber forest products, are explored. Students will study and discuss the scientific literature in the field. Field trips and indoor lab periods will explore silvicultural practices in the northeastern US as well as provide the opportunity to conduct group research projects. (2 hours lecture, 4 hours lab) Prerequisite: FOR 260 Silviculture. Completes General Education Requirements:AR-l, QP-l, SC-l, LAS.
Credit:
3
Prerequisites:
Prereq: Lecture: FOR 260 Lecture Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00
Corequisites:
Coreq: FOR 420 Lecture, FOR 420 Lab
x
FOR 420
Advanced Silviculture
3
Geospatial Information Tech for Forestry
Course Code:
GIS 230
Course Description:
This course introduces general uses of geospatial information technologies (GIT) - geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and global positioning systems (GPS) - with applications to natural resource management and forestry. Skills in basic mapmaking with GIS software, aerial photos and handheld GPS units are developed. Quantitative skills (such as measuring areas, distances, bearings, heights of objects and elevations of the ground) from aerial photos as well as calculations utilizing computer spreadsheets are emphasized. Forest stand mapping, inventory plot locations using GPS, and stereo aerial photo measurements are applications presented. Prerequisite: MAT 125 Algebra or taken concurrently Completes General Education Requirement:QP-R.
Credit:
3
Prerequisites:
Prereq: Lecture: MAT 125 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00 Or Accuplacer Math Placement 200.0000 Or MAT 180 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: D Min Credits: 3.00 Or MAT 241 Lecture (May be taken concurrently) Min Grade: D Min Credits: 4.00 Or MAT 125 Lecture Min Grade: TR Min Credits: 3.00
Corequisites:
Coreq: GIS 230 Lecture, GIS 230 Lab
x
GIS 230
Geospatial Information Tech for Forestry
3

OR

Introduction to Remote Sensing
Course Code:
GIS 350
Course Description:

This course will introduce fundamental principles and concepts of remote sensing, and explore its applications specific to the environment and natural resource management. The course provides students with the basic theory to understand how and why remote sensing works, followed by a survey of remotely sensed data such as point clouds and imagery obtained from various platforms and portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  We will explore and obtain hands-on experience with how remotely sensed information can be used for applications such as land cover classification and wildfire mapping. Students will learn how to identify, obtain, process and interpret the appropriate remotely sensed data for various applications.

(2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab)  Completes General Education Requirements:QP-l, AR-l.

Credit:
3
Prerequisites:

GIS 201

MAT 210

Corequisites:

GIS 350 Lab

x
GIS 350
Introduction to Remote Sensing
3

Note: FOR 206 is a summer forestry block course.

Total Credits 16

Contact Information

Dr. Brett McLeod

Pickett Hall 107

518-327-6990

bmcleod@paulsmiths.edu

 

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