My Academic Plans (MAPs) are designed by faculty to better guide you in retention and completion. It is highly encouraged that you complete courses in the recommended order provided below in the notes section. You should work with an academic advisor to adjust your plan based on your scheduling needs.
My Academic Plan
Program Mission & Description
This program prepares students for a career as a forestry technician. Students gain practical skills in forestry, wildland fire, natural resource management and the computer analysis of natural resources. Students participate in community natural resources projects.
Forestry and Natural Resources Degrees
Forestry Technology AAS Degree Required Courses
Gain Field Experience:
This program offers students a variety of opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in the field. Students participate in field experiences at the following locations:
- Red Feather Lakes 100-Acre School Forest – Students do timber cruising, soil studies, and snowshoe hare counts for the Colorado lynx reintroduction project.
- Swift Ponds–Students conduct wildlife habitat management and fisheries research at Swift Ponds, a 240-acre property in Fort Collins operated by Colorado Youth Outdoors.
- Horsetooth Mountain Park – Our Forestry Field Research class is taught at Horsetooth Mountain Park, where students work in 10 study plots, doing everything from deer pellet counts to entomology to studying forest management practices. The course includes sawyer training for forest management and connects students to wildland firefighting opportunities.
Unique Program Opportunities:
Other interesting opportunities available to Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources students include:
- GIS Tree Inventory - Combine field observation skills with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to support an inventory of every tree on the Larimer Campus. Students in Natural Resources GIS classes over the years will return to the field to measure and track the trees and load new information into the GIS program. Students in other disciplines also will participate to highlight certain trees through photography, art or a write-up on their history.
- Honors - Introduction to Forestry – Students can take NRE 100 as an embedded honors course. The honors option requires students to conduct mountain lion research and verbenone flake research on the mountain pine beetle. Learn more about the Larimer Campus Honors Program.
- Red Card Certification – Students can earn a Red Card qualification card through FRCC’s collaboration with Larimer County Emergency Services. Red Card holders may be dispatched to fight wildfires.
- Society of American Foresters – This award-winning student group offers community involvement opportunities, a fishing derby, wildlife habitat projects, and much more.
Learn more about gainful employment
First Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows.
| NRE 100 | Foundations of Forestry | 3 |
| MAT- GEN | Mathematics:___________ | 3-4 |
| GIS 101 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| ENG- GEN | English: ___________ | 3 |
| ELC- LST | Approved Elective List: __________ | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15-16 |
Second Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows.
| NRE 205 | Wildlife and Fisheries Management Principles | 3 |
| NRE 215 | Fire Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 221 | Botany with Lab | 5 |
| NRE- EL1 | Natural Resources Elective:__________ | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Third Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows.
| NRE 110 | Forestry Field Research | 3 |
| ELC- LST | Approved Elective List: __________ | 3 |
| GIS 212 | GIS Remote Sensing - Digital Image | 4 |
| HLT 211 | Arboriculture | 3 |
| NRE- EL2 | Natural Resources Elective:__________ | 1-2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14-15 |
Fourth Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows. You must take a minimum of 60 credits. You should not exceed 62 credits. You may want to check with your advisor to monitor your completion progress.
| HLT 240 | Introductory Soil Science | 4 |
| NRE 121 | Introduction to Hydrology | 3 |
| NRE 220 | Forest Harvesting | 2 |
| NRE 280 | Internship | 3* |
| NRE- ELC | Natural Resources Elective:__________ | 4-5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16-17 |