April 16, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

It is with great excitement that today we launch the Treasure Montana Campaign.

This fundraising campaign aims to raise $20 million to construct a new UM hub for environment and conservation learning and research. This hub will support and showcase UM as a leader in environmental stewardship for our great state and beyond.

In 2021, the Montana Legislature invested $25 million towards this project, and now we are prepared to launch the next phase of this campaign to secure what is needed to finish the job.

This project is much more than a building. It will serve as the primary hub for environmental education and workforce development for students seeking careers in conservation, wildlife and land management, and forestry. It will help launch the next generation of Udall and Truman Scholars, as well as our state's future public sector leaders.

In addition to serving students, combined with the Clapp Building remodel, the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation will use these investments to expand its role as a national leader in research. This includes the Montana Climate Office's Mesonet Project, which is emerging as the primary source for drought monitoring and analysis in our state.

Lastly, this new building will be no ordinary structure. Rather, it will be the first state-owned facility constructed entirely of cross-laminated timber. Cross-laminated timber is an environmentally friendly product that can be manufactured locally and could save on construction costs compared to traditional steel and concrete. The building will be a showcase project to spur the reemergence of Montana's rich timber history and truly reflect the unique posture of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation.

Since 2018, our campus is set to invest more than $300 million to bring our age-of-plant ratio up to the standards our students expect. And because of private philanthropy, state government investments and a more strategic approach to our balance sheet, we have done this without putting the financial burden to pay for these improvements on the backs of our students.

Once complete, this new building - along with the new dining center, Combined Heat and Power Plant, new residence hall and Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility - will reshape the student experience on our campus for years to come.

Seth