The Department of Forestry began in 1954 when the Mississippi Legislature created the School of Forestry within the College of Agriculture. In 1955, the first two professional forestry degrees were awarded. Thus began a long tradition of training professional foresters to manage the state and nations vast timber resources. In 1961, the School of Forestry became a separate entity from the College of Agriculture. In 1967 the School of Forestry was renamed the School of Forest Resources and the forestry undergraduate education program was accredited by the Society of American Foresters. The department began offering master’s degrees in 1968 and doctoral degrees in 1979.
The department has been first in a number of research, education and service endeavors. See our points of pride below.
- 19,700,000 acres
- 125,000 forest landowners
- $1.28 billion value of production in timber harvest
- $10.38 billion dollar industry
- 63,365 jobs (full and part-time)
- $2.63 billion in wages
- #1 for Tree Farms in the entire United States
The Department of Forestry
Box 9681
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9601
Location
Room 105 Thompson Hall
Phone: 662-325-2949
Fax: 662-325-8726
Maps
Forestry Links