Course Form (revised 8-2009)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
Forestry
Course Title
Advanced Timber Harvesting
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
Summarize the change(s) proposed
Prefix and Course #
FOR UG 435
Advanced Timber Harvesting
The old 5-credit FOR 435 Advanced Timber Harvesting
and Roads is being split into two, 2-credit courses: FOR
434 Advanced Forest Roads and FOR 435 Advanced
Timber Harvesting. This will decrease the number
of required credits in the program by one and will
allow students outside the Forest Operations and
Applied Restoration option (specifically graduate
students) to take only one of the two classes.
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Requestor:
Elizabeth Dodson
Phone/ email :
5542/
Elizabeth.dodson@umontana.edu
Program Chair/Director:
Elizabeth Dodson
Other affected programs
None
Dean:
Date
Jim Burchfield
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into section
V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
YES
NO
Common Course Numbering Review: Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere
in the MUS? Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with
existing course(s)? Please indicate equivalent course/campus 
http://msudw.msu.montana.edu:9030/wfez/owa/musxfer.p_CCN_MAIN
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
Complete for UG courses. (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment (Reference guidelines: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/Grad/UG.htm)
Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions determined by the Board
of Regents. Please indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
Course Number Change
From:
Level U, UG, G
YES
Advanced Timber
Harvesting
From:
NO
To:
Description Change
Change in Credits
From:
To:
To:
5
2
Prerequisites
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
UG 435 Advanced Timber Harvesting and Forest
Road 5 cr. Offered autumn. Prereqs., FOR 235, 347, 340,
351; Coreq., FOR 436. This course covers the fundamentals
of logging feasibility and cost analyses of various timber
harvesting systems including the characteristics and
performance of ground vehicles, cable and aerial systems;
cost factors and cost analysis procedures; safety issues; and
environmental impacts of harvesting systems as well as
forest road location, surveying, design, construction and
maintenance, and management of existing road systems.
Repeatability
Cross Listing
(primary program
initiates form)
Is there a fee associated with the course?
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
UG 435 Advanced Timber Harvesting 2 cr.
Offered autumn. Prereqs., FOR 235, 347, 340,
351. This course covers the fundamentals of
logging feasibility and cost analyses of various
timber harvesting systems including the
characteristics and performance of ground
vehicles, cable and aerial systems; cost factors
and cost analysis procedures; safety issues; and
environmental impacts of harvesting systems .
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering? If yes, then will this change eliminate the
course’s common course status? Please explain below.
No
5. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference guidelines at:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/Grad/UG.htm
(syllabus required in section V)
Have you reviewed the graduate increment
x
guidelines? Please check (X) space provided.
In order for students to receive graduate credit
for the course, a 5-10 page term paper
addressing a current forest road issue, focusing
on the use of forest operations to solve a
complex natural resource problem, is
required. The paper will be of publishable quality,
including an introduction, literature review,
presentation of the issue, discussion of the
significance for management, conclusion, and
references to literature cited.
6. Other programs affected by the change
7. Justification for proposed change
none
By splitting the content of the old FOR 435
course into two courses it will allow students,
specifically graduate students, additional
flexibility to pick up only forest road or timber
harvesting knowledge and experience. For
students within FOAR, this change will decrease
the number of required credits within the
program by one. Students do not need this credit
to meet other college or university requirements
(i.e. upper division credits within the College)
and therefore can use this additional credit for
electives. By breaking up the course content into
two separate offerings, this also allows for
greater instructor flexibility as there will now be
one instructor per course.
V. Syllabus/Assessment Information
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
FOR UG 435
Advanced Timber Harvesting (2 credits)
Instructors:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office hours:
Beth Dodson
FOR 201A
243-5542
elizabeth.dodson@umontana.edu
Class Date:
Second 8 weeks of the semester (including finals week)
Class Times:
Two 1.5 hour lectures (TR 1:10 – 2:30P)
One 3 hour lab (F 10:10A – 2:00P)
Required Text:
-
Faculty pack on logging mechanics
1. Pre-requisite:
MATH 150, FOR 235, FOR 340 or FOR 341, FOR 347
2. Course Descriptions:
The purpose of this course is to provide students with advanced knowledge and skills to apply, critically
analyze, and evaluate various timber harvesting systems. This course covers the fundamentals of logging
feasibility and cost analyses of various timber harvesting systems including the characteristics and
performance of ground vehicles, cable and aerial systems; cost factors and cost analysis procedures; safety
issues; and environmental impacts of harvesting systems.
The laboratory components of this course will provide students with basic working knowledge to conduct
logging feasibility and cost analyses of various timber harvesting systems. Students will also learn how to use
some of the major software packages that can be used in analyzing various harvesting systems.
2. Course Learning Objectives:
Ground-based harvesting system
 Understand the fundamentals of engineering mechanics (statics)
 Understand the characteristics of ground vehicles (power, gears, torque multipliers, tires and tracks)
 Understand the performance of ground vehicles (gradeability, stability, ground pressure)
 Understand cost factors and learn cost analysis procedures
 Learn how to use computer software for ground-based harvesting system analysis (SKID PC &
Logcost51)
 Understand safety issues on ground-based harvesting operations
 Understand environmental impacts of ground-based harvesting systems
 Understand factors important in the layout and administration of a ground-based harvesting operation
Cable and aerial logging system
 Understand the engineering properties of wire rope
 Learn the procedures of payload analysis
 Learn how to use computer software for payload analysis (LOGGER PC)
 Understand cost factors and learn cost analysis procedures
 Understand safety issues on cable and aerial logging operations
 Understand environmental impacts of cable logging system
 Understand factors important in the layout and administration of cable and aerial logging systems
3. Grading:
 Harvest design project
 Lab exercises and homework
30%
70%
100%
In order for students to receive graduate credit for the course, a 5-10 page term paper addressing a current
management issue, focusing on the use of forest operations to solve a complex natural resource problem, is
required. The paper will be of publishable quality, including an introduction, literature review, presentation of
the issue, discussion of the significance for management, conclusion, and references to literature cited.
4. Tentative course schedules:
Week
Date
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday (Lab)
1
26-Oct
Characteristics of ground
vehicles
Performance of ground
vehicles
SkidPC (in class)
2
2-Nov
Environmental impacts of
ground-based harvesting
Application of groundbased harvesting,
administration of sale
Layout of ground unit
3
9-Nov
Wire rope
Payload analysis I
Run profiles
4
16-Nov
Payload analysis II
Chain and Board
Conduct payload analysis
I (in class)
5
23-Nov
Logger PC
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
6
30-Nov
Logger PC
Environmental impacts of
cable harvesting
Conduct payload analysis
II (in class)
7
7-Dec
Logging Safety
Administration of cable
sale
Layout Project
8
14-Dec
Final Layout Project
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the
course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University.
All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for review online at
http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm?page?1321.
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.