About SFEC

Continuing education students in a forest

We offer continuing education opportunities for foresters and natural resource managers in Minnesota and the region. Based in the University of Minnesota's Cloquet Forestry Center, SFEC is a natural resources educational cooperative whose members not only support our work but identify educational needs and guide program development.

Since 1997, we have developed and delivered continuing education opportunities to forestry and natural resource professionals in a broad range of fields including forest ecology and management, wildlife ecology and management, forest health, remote sensing technologies, fire ecology, MN Timber Harvest and Forest Management Guidelines, and more.

Our largest source of financial support is our members, through annual dues and event registration fees. We also receive important financial support from the University of Minnesota Extension, the UMN College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences, and the Cloquet Forestry Center.

Membership

Membership is generally at the company, agency, or organization level. We aim to meet the educational needs of our members and take member input seriously. SFEC member organizations and their employees receive the following benefits:

  • Membership pricing on event registration, generally about a 50% discount
  • Input into topics, formats, and other aspects of our annual event planning process
  • Direct input into content through event planning committees, if desired

For more information on SFEC membership, contact Eli Sagor at [email protected] or (218) 409-6115.

SFEC member organizations through December 2022:

  • Aitkin County Land Department
  • Aitkin County SWCD
  • Beltrami County Natural Resource Management
  • Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest Region
  • Carlton County Land Department
  • Carlton County SWCD
  • Cass County Land Department
  • Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (USFS)
  • Chippewa National Forest (USFS)
  • Clearwater County Land Department
  • Crow Wing County Land Department
  • Crow Wing County SWCD
  • Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
  • Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
  • Hubbard County Natural Resource Management
  • Hubbard County SWCD
  • Itasca County Land Department
  • Koochiching County Land & Forestry
  • Lake County Land Department
  • Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Minnesota North College
  • MN Association of County Land Commissioners
  • MN DNR – Division of Ecological & Water Resources
  • MN DNR – Division of Forestry
  • MN DNR – Forestry Stewardship Plan Writers
  • MN DNR – Section of Wildlife
  • MN Forest Industries
  • MN Forest Resources Council
  • Molpus Timberland LLC
  • North St. Louis County SWCD
  • Packaging Corporation of America
  • Pine County SWCD
  • Potlatch Corporation
  • Rajala Woods Foundation
  • Red Lake Department of Natural Resources
  • Sappi Fine Paper
  • South St. Louis County SWCD
  • St. John's Abbey Arboretum/ Outdoor University
  • St. Louis County Land Department
  • Superior National Forest (USFS)
  • The Nature Conservancy – MN Chapter
  • UMD Natural Resources Research Institute
  • UMN Cloquet Forestry Center
  • UMN Department of Forest Resources
  • UMN Extension Forestry Program
  • UPM Blandin Paper Company
  • Wadena County SWCD
  • White Earth Nation Division of Natural Resources
  • WI DNR- Division of Forestry

Fees and our financial model

While we do receive some financial support from the University of Minnesota, SFEC relies heavily on membership dues and event registration fees to remain financially viable. Rates to attend our programs are set at a level to cover, but not exceed, our annual operating expenses. We take pride in offering excellent quality events that provide value to our members.

Contact us

Drop us a line anytime with questions about upcoming programs, membership, or anything else:
Eli Sagor, SFEC Manager: [email protected] or 218-409-6115