Recreation and Management

Connecting people with nature through recreation and tourism

By Treasure Montana

October 15^th, 2024

We help people connect with nature.

The W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation is at the forefront of outdoor recreation and management research, supporting private firms and public agencies that manage and steward our wildest landscapes.

Franke College faculty members are renowned experts in their fields and explore some of the most controversial wildlife and natural resource issues confronting Montanans, the American West and farther afield. Their research provides the scientific basis to inform complex societal decisions on topics such as human-wildlife conflict and recreation management.

The Franke College is home to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, which conducts rigorous and impartial research that empowers the tourism and recreation industries in Montana to make informed decisions in planning, marketing, policy and management. ITRR collaborates with agencies such as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to provide crucial insights on topics including: social and environmental effects of tourism; regional and community tourism planning; the intersection of farming, ranching and recreation; and more. Learn more about ITRR.

Through work with ITRR and other experiential opportunities, our students develop skills and knowledge to help connect people to place, manage park visitation, provide environmental interpretation and integrate conservation sciences into recreation and tourism planning.

Your support of this building project will help ensure Franke College students and faculty have a modern space to research, learn and collaborate on recreation and management solutions that influence communities in Montana and beyond.

Read our stories below to learn about the social, ecological and economic impact of our work and how your support makes a difference.

Wild Sustenance: Innovative Course Introduces UM Students to Hunting

Now in its fourth year, Wild Sustenance is an immersive course that teaches students about ethical hunting, firearm safety, cooking wild game and more. Students gain hands-on experience while learning about the role of hunting in society.

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“I fell in love with conservation work, having jobs that allowed me to be in nature all the time, and well, the great outdoors."

-- Elena Thomas '24

UM Study: ‘Identity’ Key to Turning Outdoor Recreationalists Into Landscape Stewards

Outdoor recreation is the lifeblood to culture in Missoula, and a recent study by a UM graduate student shows that identifying with the great outdoors leads recreationalists to take part in their preservation.

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Camping Reservations: ‘A Wicked Problem of Equity,’ Finds UM Researchers

As a researcher in outdoor recreation and wildland management, Will Rice studies the science and art of camping. His research has found a park system strained by the exploding popularity of outdoor recreation and struggling to find ways to balance park protection with equitable access to all.

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Connect With Us

To learn more and to support the Franke College, contact Melinda Booth, senior director of development for the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation and the Wildlife Biology Program, at melinda.booth@supportum.org or 406-243-2593. You may also visit our Contact page to submit a message.