A Tree (That is, a Forestry Major) Grows at FMU

Roughly two thirds of the 20.5 million acres in the state of South Carolina are covered by forests. It’s a tremendous resource that requires thoughtful care and management. In the years to come, some of that management will emanate from Francis Marion University. 

FMU is preparing to launch its Forestry program in the fall of 2026. An academic framework for the new field of study has been put together. University leaders are in the process of hiring a program director. And site work is underway at the 45,000-square foot forestry and environmental sciences building that will rise later this year on the western edge of campus, near the new SLED Regional Headquarters. 

The new program has been placed in FMU’s storied Department of Biology administratively, with long-time FMU Professor Dr. Vernon Bauer as its interim director. 

Dr. Fred Carter, FMU’s president, says Forestry has been on FMU’s radar for some time, but came to the fore in recent years when industry and community leaders contacted the university about the acute need for professional forestry management in the area. 

“There were individuals with broad perspectives and interests who called this to our attention,” says Carter. “The forests and unspoiled lands in the Pee Dee are tremendous resources, both for industry and ecology. As this region grows, they need to be managed properly and frankly, the professionals required just aren’t available.” 

Carter says the timing is propitious. The need for forestry professionals arrived just as FMU had begun to dig into the field of environmental sciences. That, in turn, was built on FMU’s strong foundation in the natural sciences. 

“The recent growth of programs in freshwater ecology, environmental sciences, and forestry join other majors that we have developed in the health sciences and engineering over the past 15-20 years,” says Carter. “It’s a nice complement to our core liberal arts curriculum and other successful programs in the sciences, the arts, the humanities, business, and education, and I’m sure, in time, will be a real boon, both to this region, and the state.” 

Bauer says the impetus to create the program rolled “downstream” from recent flood events in the area, like Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and the storm that caused catastrophic small dam failures during a storm the fall before that. 

“There were a lot of issues experienced across the board coming out of Hurricane Matthew and other storms,” says Bauer. “We had lots of water issues, an infrastructure mess, power outages, etc., and the ability to manage land, water, and natural resources in relation to that received a lot of attention. FMU was already moving in that direction with the Freshwater Ecology Center and our Environmental Studies program. It just seemed like FMU should play a part with regard to forestry, too. It all fits together.” 

Bauer designed a basic curriculum for the program, based on what was in use by other forestry programs in the southeast, and the licensure requirements within the profession. That included weighing in on the general design for the new building. It will include four laboratory spaces and some of those will be used for Forestry-specific work, such as soil tests. 

Future FMU foresters will have access to a lot of forested land in the area, including two small tracts already owned by the university. A greenhouse for trees might be useful in the future.

“Forestry certainly requires a grounding in biology,” says Bauer, “but it’s its own animal, with its own very specific set of skills. It requires some mathematics, professional writing, probably even some engineering. The good news is we’re in a position to provide all of that, once we have some Forestry faculty.” 

Once a program director and faculty are hired, FMU’s curriculum will be refined to match the courses being taught — and even the particular forests being studied — labs and field work. The forests of the Pee Dee, which often lie, in whole or in part, in wetland areas, are unique, says Bauer. 

“That could actually be another advantage, one of the things that might make FMU unique,” says Bauer. “Foresters from other places may not know what to do with our swampbased, lowland forests. So, if someone comes down here from Clemson (the only other forestry program in South Carolina), it may well be that they have never seen this before. Our position in the southeast will be one-of-a-kind. We’ll train foresters, we’ll begin to understand what it takes to manage this kind of land. I think it will be a great opportunity for our students and will open up different areas of research in which our faculty will be able to compete for grants and research dollars from around the world.” 

Bauer says the program has already generated interest and excitement among existing students, and he’s expecting a good-sized class when the program begins in 2026. 

Prospective majors can find out more at www.fmarion.edu/biology/, or by contacting Bauer at vbauer@fmarion.edu.