To meet society's increasing need for sustainable resources, efficient and environmentally acceptable options are needed for the management, harvesting, and transportation of timber and biomass for energy production and for manufacture of products, e.g. lumber, paper, and wood composites. The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Forest Operations, Bioproducts and Bioenergy (FBB) at the University of Maine addresses this challenge by providing students with a relevant combination of course work, hands on experiences, faculty expertise and mentoring within the context of building teamwork and communications skills. The program aims to develop individuals (a) with the knowledge and abilities to better manage timber resources and forest operations in an environment of increasing public scrutiny and environmental concern, (b) with an understanding of the processes and challenges related to the efficient and environmentally acceptable harvest and conversion of forest resources to bioproducts and bioenergy, and (c) with an appreciation for the business principles and the associated local, regional, and global markets. Our educational goal is to produce professionals with strong abilities to assess and communicate the technical foundations and life-cycle impacts associated with how forest-based materials can be sustainably produced for a variety of applications ranging from traditional wood products to emerging bioproducts and bioenergy systems.<br><br>The Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy Program at UMaine has been designed to address a major challenge to the industry: the efficient and environmentally acceptable growth, management, extraction and transportation of timber for the manufacture of forest products.The interdisciplinary program combines coursework, fieldwork and faculty expertise in forest ecology, forest management and wood science, with an emphasis in business administration. Training in a forest setting begins the first semester.