The mission of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation is to advance research and education that fosters sustainability and empowers a holistic understanding of social-ecological systems. Faculty and scientists in our centers and institutes conduct research across a broad range of natural resource and environmental science disciplines, from wildland fire to wildlife management.

The college is also a consortium partner in the Northwest Climate Science Center, hosted by the University of Washington. Other consortium partners include Washington State University, Western Washington University and Boise State University. The U.S. Department of Interior Climate Science Centers provide resource managers and other stakeholders with information and decision-making tools to respond to the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife, ecosystems and the communities they support. There are eight regional centers in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands.