For Immediate Release

March 3, 2026

National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O’Mara and a panel of environmental leaders call for major expansion of SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry to allow the college to grow enrollment and expand programming.

Panelists laud ESF’s research and mission to train future environmentalists at today’s virtual discussion, attended by more than 250 people.

View video from the event HERE and HERE

In an increasingly volatile political climate where climate change is considered a hoax, proven scientific findings are attacked, rejected or ignored and science research funding is routinely slashed, SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry remains a national leader in developing renewable technologies, building a sustainable future and training the next generation of green leaders.

How the small-but-mighty Syracuse-based college will navigate these and other challenges was part of a 90-minute virtual discussion today featuring a panel of environmental heavyweights who strongly supported ESF, lauded the groundbreaking research being done there and urged state leaders to significantly invest in the campus to allow it to expand and thrive.

More than 250 people sat in on the virtual panel discussion, titled “Anti-Science, the Environmental Crises and the Crucial Role of ESF.” The event, moderated by United University Professions President Fred Kowal, was co-sponsored by UUP, America’s largest higher education union and the National Wildlife Federation.

The panel included four noted environmental experts: Collin O’Mara, president and chief executive officer of the National Wildlife Federation; author Robin Kimmerer, founder of ESF’s Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita; Rita Hite, president of the American Forest Foundation; and Rick Fedrizzi, U.S. Green Building Council founding chair and former CEO, International WELL Building Institute executive chairman and ESF Board of Trustees member. Dan Vera, president of ESF’s Might Oak Student Assembly, was also on the panel.

During the seminar, panelists discussion spotlighted the many scientific and research contributions of SUNY ESF. They also called for a major expansion of ESF, which would allow the campus to significantly grow enrollment, solidify student retention and enhance student academic programs and services.

"UUP, people at ESF, we are with you in this fight,” said O’Mara, a Syracuse native. “This is one of those movements where it’s in our interest to invest in ESF because failure is not an option. We have to succeed.”

“ESF will lead, that’s the message,” said Kimmerer. “What’s the answer to despair? It’s problem-solving and rolling up your sleeves. The answer is leadership; the answer is good science and good policy. That means the anecdote is ESF.”

Panelists talked about the importance of ESF’s applied research, specialized education and stewardship of public lands and how those contributions position the college as a crucial national asset—advancing climate solutions, protecting biodiversity and preparing the next generation of environmental leaders in a time of national crisis.

ESF is known for its research excellence and has made important contributions in the fields of aquatic ecosystems, bioenergy, biotechnology, biodiversity, ecology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and wildlife disease. The campus also has deep community ties; the Timbuctoo Summer program provides immersive science learning experiences and career exploration for New York City high schoolers from marginalized communities.

ESF graduates are sought after for green careers. The state’s Department of Education is a major employer of ESF graduates; one of every four DEC employees are ESF alumni. As of 2023, 98% of ESF grads found jobs within 6 months and nearly three-quarters of them live in New York after graduating.

“ESF is one of the nation’s leading environmental colleges because of the unique, groundbreaking work that’s being done there. At ESF, researchers have made significant contributions in fields such as bioenergy, biotechnology, ecology and aquatic ecosystems.The work being done there is unparalleled. ESF also educates the workforce that will navigate climate change challenges we now face and will face in the future. With a federal administration that scoffs at science, now is the time for New York state to strongly invest in ESF to ensure a sustainable future,” said UUP President Fred Kowal.

"At a time when the challenges facing wildlife, our communities, and our climate have never been more urgent, disinvesting in the very institutions equipped to solve them is dangerously shortsighted," said Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "SUNY ESF is a national treasure and a powerhouse for the applied science, conservation, and workforce development we need to build and solve the interrelated conservation challenges of our time. The National Wildlife Federation stands proudly with UUP in defending critical research funding and bolstering academic freedom to ensure that science—not politics—guides the stewardship of our natural world. Protecting ESF is not just about saving a college; it’s about securing the foundation of our environmental and economic future."

“Institutions like ESF matter most in moments like this. They don’t just study resilience — they build it. We’re living through the all too real consequences of underpricing environmental risk and over-politicizing science, but those consequences can — and must — be corrected. When science guides our decisions and clear signals shape action, real progress is not only possible, it’s achievable,” said Rick Fedrizzi, U.S. Green Building Council founding chair and former CEO, International WELL Building Institute executive chairman and ESF Board of Trustees member.

“The iconic, specialized education that ESF has offered for more than a century doesn’t just take place in a classroom. It requires field work, experience, training on the land and in the lab to achieve these levels of excellence. ESF, the nation’s leading institution dedicated to the environment, has been “doing more with less” for decades, even while enrollments and research dollars increase,” said author Robin Kimmerer, founder of ESF’s Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and a SUNY Distinguished Teaching professor emerita. “If New York State wants to remain a leader in environmental protection, restoring ESFs funding is essential. At a time when climate change and biodiversity loss are accelerating, when the need for environmental science leadership has never been greater, NYS needs to recognize ESF as a cornerstone of that leadership and make ESF financially whole. Our students and faculty change the world with critical research and exceptional education in exactly the arenas that the world needs. Deeming ESF ‘too expensive” is short-sighted, ESF is not too expensive, ESF is “priceless.”

“Forests are essential to our very existence, so learning about their value is crucial to keeping our woods healthy and supporting rural America,” said Rita Hite, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. “SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry equipped me with the tools to foster cutting edge forest conservation science, and every day I work to advance the shared goals of my professors and fellow students of ensuring a sustainable planet.”

“ESF, now more than ever, is an important cornerstone, both locally here in Syracuse, where there is immense research and faculty engagement on critical community issues, and globally, as we face climate change and a rapidly shifting world,” said Dan Vera, an ESF student and president of ESF’s Might Oak Student Assembly. “This is a moment when supporting ESF and its mission in every aspect truly matters. Continued support ensures that the impactful work being done here and around the world can move forward.”