Oakdale, Louisiana
By Jack M. Willis
Journal Correspondent

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind, studying in the economics of the State of Louisiana, that the timber industry is the state's number two producer - second only to the petrochemical industry - of jobs and tax revenue while furnishing diversified raw building materials and finished products utilized by nations around the world.

About 25 years ago some prominent Louisiana educators close to the forestry industry recognized the fact that in order to properly manage the forest resources of the State of Louisiana, a specialized Associate Degree curriculum was needed to train and equip in-state Forestry Technicians. The degree program was instituted and has been operation since 1976 at the Louisiana Technical College branch at Oakdale, LA, the seat of Allen Parish, on U.S. Highway 165 about halfway between Alexandria and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The forestry technician Associate Degree requires 1,725 class hours for 73 semester credit hours, with the program featuring dedicated classroom instruction in tandem with field trips to corporate forestry operations in progress. In primary focus at all times is the emphasis on proper safety techniques during these "hands on" sessions. The normal length of instruction is 18 months and total cost is just over $2000, which is a bargain in anyone's pocket book.

The LTC Forestry Tech program is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, and is governed by a twice-a-year review by an advisory committee of forestry professionals drawn from private industry, elected state officials, corporate and private landowners, and students who make suggestions to upgrade the courses to keep abreast of trends in the timber industry.

Dean of the Oakdale campus is Darrell Rodriguez, with Finis Prendergast, a Shreveport native with over 40 years experience, heading up the Forestry Technology program. Prendergast took charge three years ago at the death of former director Tim Strother. Prendergast has a Bachelor of Science Degree in forestry from LSU at Baton Rouge, and a Master's Degree from Stephen F. Austin University at Nacogdoches, Texas. He was employed for more than 20 years by Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, and has been a forestry consultant since 1994.

Prendergast stated with emphasis, "We work to insure that if one of our graduates desires to pursue a BS Degree in Forestry they will have a foundation which will give them a leg up on other enrollees." Some mandatory general courses necessary to achieve the AD Degree which are taught at the Oakdale facility are English, Math, Biological or Physical Science and Humanities, along with the forestry-related courses of dendrology, environmental science, forest insects and diseases, forest protection, prescribed burns and fire control, mensuration, silviculture, wildlife management, total quality management, forest ecology, harvesting, computer literacy, forest surveying and GPS application, aerial photography interpretation and GIS applications. Since most forestry positions now utilize the new GIS and GPS procedures Prendergast has incorporated these new "cutting edge" technologies into four of the classes he teaches which are: surveying, logging, mensuration (forest measurement) and aerial photography.

Prendergast states that as far as he's concerned the Forestry Technician program taught on the Oakdale campus is one of the finest in the nation, but as the principal instructor he feels he is disadvantaged in some areas. For one thing, he said, the policy of the school dictates that a student may enroll at any time regardless of what is currently being taught, in what is known as an "open enrollment" policy.

This is all well and good, except that, if the student is a beginner or freshman, and the course being taught they happen to enroll in is an advanced course to enable another student to graduate, the beginner is at a decided disadvantage because of his lack of having taken the preparatory courses necessary to properly navigate the curriculum. And so he often ends up with a class of students at different grade levels in pursuit of their degrees.

Prendergast states, "This state of affairs keeps me constantly walking an academic tight rope to enable students to graduate when they should." He adds, "It gets interesting around here at times."

Another detriment plaguing current and prospective students and the enrollment, is the fact that the school is not located in a high-density population area. Due to the price of gasoline most prospective students cannot afford to drive over 75 miles to attend the school.

Prendergast says the bottom line is that the school is dedicated to preparing individuals in a variety of positions in the wide-open field of forestry at the technical level. He further states that that job prospects for graduates of the program are good for those willing to relocate, but those wishing to stay in the Central Louisiana area may have to wait for local employment. Counselors are available at the Oakdale school to advise students on financial opportunities.

(For more information on this program call Darrell Rodriguez or Finis Prendergast at 318-335-3944.)

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