Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Training the next generation of environmental conservation professionals
Clemson’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation (FEC) prepares leaders in sustainable forestry and wildlife and fisheries conservation and ecology through excellence in instruction, scientific inquiry and outreach to citizens of South Carolina, the nation, and the world. We partner with industry, state and federal agencies, and non-government organizations to protect and advance our region’s most valuable assets: its forest, wetland, and aquatic ecosystems.
FEC is comprised of faculty located on the main campus in Clemson, SC and at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, a Clemson University research field station in Georgetown, South Carolina.
The department offers undergraduate majors in Environmental and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, and Forest Resource Management. The Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management is accredited through the Society of American Foresters. FEC also offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Forest Resources and a Master of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources (MWFR), which is a professional, non-thesis degree.
Our Degrees
Undergraduate Programs
(Bachelor of Science)
Foundational training in environmental conservation with concentrations in natural resource management, conservation biology, and natural resources economics and policies
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Training the next generation of sustainable forestry professionals.
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Training the next generation of wildlife and fisheries conservation professionals
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Places and Programs
New FEC Building
The Clemson Experimental Forest's 17,500 acres are dedicated to education, research and demonstration in order to better understand and manage forest resources for the benefit of society. These essential resources include clean air, clean water, pleasing aesthetic qualities, abundant wildlife, protection of species and habitat diversity, recreation opportunities, along with commodity products from the forest.
See the progress
Clemson Experimental Forest
The Clemson Experimental Forest's 17,500 acres are dedicated to education, research and demonstration in order to better understand and manage forest resources for the benefit of society. These essential resources include clean air, clean water, pleasing aesthetic qualities, abundant wildlife, protection of species and habitat diversity, recreation opportunities, along with commodity products from the forest.
Visit the Clemson Experimental Forest WebsiteBaruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science
The Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science is located on the Hobcaw Barony, a 16,000-acre tract of undeveloped land along the Waccamaw Neck. The facilities at Baruch provide Clemson with unique research opportunities in a coastal environment with high-salinity estuary marshes, brackish water and freshwater swamps.
Visit the Baruch Website
Climate-Smart Grown in SC
Climate-Smart Grown in SC incentivizes and provides support for family forest owners implementing climate-smart forest management practices. Researchers and Extension specialists help forest owners choose the best program area for their forestland and can connect participants with local foresters and contractors.
Visit the Climate-Smart Grown in SC WebsiteJames C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center
Through a gift of $3.3 million, James C. Kennedy established the first endowed waterfowl conservation center along the Atlantic Flyway. Headquartered at the Baruch Institute for Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, the center provides fellowships for Ph.D. and Master of Science graduate students, undergraduate student fellows and multiple undergraduate internships, and also educates landowners and land managers through an extensive educational outreach program.
Visit the James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center Website
Boone & Crockett Program
The Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program at Clemson University focuses on educating the next generation of conservation-minded land management professionals, researching innovative and effective practices in land management, and imparting those research-based practices to South Carolina landowners through the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service.
Visit the Boone & Crockett WebsiteFire Tigers
Fire Tigers is a 15-member group of Clemson forestry and wildlife students who volunteer to assist the U.S. Forest Service with prescribed burns and fighting wildfires in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of Sumter National Forest in South Carolina. The Fire Tiger program gives students the opportunity to take basic wildland training courses and take on controlled burn opportunities by learning the same Forest Service guidelines, rules, certifications and organizational systems that Forest Service rangers and wildland firefighters must follow.
Read about Fire Tigers
Tigers United University Consortium
Through the Tigers United University Consortium, Auburn University, Clemson University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri, all universities with tiger mascots, combine their expertise in academic disciplines important to tiger conservation and protection, including wildlife management, engineering, environmental science, conservation social science, veterinary medicine, communications, and eco-tourism.
Visit the Tigers Consortium