Southern Regional Extension Forestry

What Southern Regional Extension Forestry does

Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) is a regional cooperative extension network that delivers forestry education, professional development, and applied research dissemination to forestry practitioners across 13+ southeastern states. Headquartered at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, SREF operates as a coordinating hub linking land-grant universities and state forestry agencies. Its primary audiences include cooperative extension agents, certified service foresters, urban forestry professionals, private forest landowners, and youth program participants.

SREF's core product surface consists of SCORM-compliant eLearning courses (eLearn Urban Forestry, eLearn Fire), mobile applications (Service Forester's Toolkit, Native Plants of North Georgia, Tree Apps), a Webinar Portal hosting recorded sessions, and a publications library distributed as PDFs and webcasts. The technical foundation relies on standard eLearning tooling - Articulate Studio '09 for course authoring and a Moodle-based learning management system (SREForestry) - with content accreditation pathways supporting CEU issuance for certified forestry professionals. Strategic partnerships extend the network's reach, including the PINEMAP climate-smart forestry consortium and the IBSS project.

SREF is funded primarily through USDA Forest Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) federal grants routed through participating universities. The revenue model is dominated by these appropriations, with content delivered largely at no cost; the only commercial revenue stream is small fee-based CEU courses for credentialed professionals. As a federally-supported extension entity rather than a commercial operator, SREF does not operate on conventional enterprise software or SaaS economics, and growth is tied to grant cycles and cooperative extension policy rather than market share.

Name

Southern Regional Extension Forestry

Legal name

Southern Regional Extension Forestry

Website

https://sref.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Regional Extension Forestry is a federally-funded cooperative extension network delivering eLearning courses, mobile apps, webinars, and publications to forestry professionals, landowners, and youth across 13+ southeastern states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Extension Education

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture (EDAOAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

Keywords

• Forestry extension services
• Continuing forestry education
• Urban forestry training
• Natural resources webinars
• Landowner education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding & Grants: SREF operates as a regional extension office primarily funded through USDA Forest Service and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grants and cooperative agreements. As a public extension service, the organization provides free educational resources and programs.
2. Continuing Education Credits: SREF offers free and fee-based continuing education opportunities for forestry professionals. Many webinars and courses provide SAF, ISA, and CCA credits for professional licensure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Southern Regional Extension Forestry provides educational resources, professional development, and technical assistance for forestry and natural resource extension professionals across 13+ southeastern U.S. states. Core offerings include eLearning courses (Urban Forestry, Bioenergy, Longleaf Economics), a webinar portal offering continuing education credits (SAF, ISA, CCA), the Woodland Stewards landowner education program, and specialized mobile applications for field reference. The organization also delivers web design, development, and IT services to partner organizations including USDA Forest Service, SGSF, EFETAC, and NUCFAC.

Product overview

Southern Regional Extension Forestry operates as a multi-product extension services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected educational resources and training programs for forestry and natural resources professionals across the southeastern United States. The core offerings include eLearn: Urban Forestry (a distance-learning platform for beginning urban foresters), the Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar Portal (for live and archived CEU-bearing webinars), and Seeding Success (an online course for early career professionals). Supporting products include the Service Forester's Handbook/Toolkit (mobile and PDF reference guides), eLearn Forestry for Bioenergy (biomass learning modules), and the Longleaf Economics course. The organization also maintains specialized platforms like the National Timber Tax Website, Forest Bioenergy portal, Forest Products Locator, Forestry Videos library, and the Cohesive Fire Strategy resources. Mobile applications include Native Plants of North Georgia and the Service Forester's Toolkit. Regional programs include the Woodland Stewards Landowner Education Program, Preparing for Wildfires with Firescaping training, and the annual Forestry & Natural Resources Meeting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 newsletter issues published and distributed bi-weekly to forestry professionals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey land-grant university partner in the IBSS (Southeastern Integrated Biomass Supply Systems) project and other regional forestry initiatives. SREF collaborates with Auburn on biofuels research, feedstock development, and extension education.
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar Portal hosting and co-host of regional conferences. Collaborates on timber tax workshops and natural resources programming.
• Texas A&M Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on the Regional Readiness Cooperative and various forestry extension initiatives. Collaborates on prescribed fire and conservation programs.
• University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor university partner hosting the eLearn Urban Forestry platform, continuing education programs, and hardwood silviculture workshops. SREF maintains web support and development partnership.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal funding partner providing grants through NIFA and direct Forest Service support. SREF provides web design and development services for various Forest Service initiatives including EFETAC, NUCFAC, and regional fire strategy programs.
• UT ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Tennessee extension partner participating in regional forestry education and programming initiatives.
• Virginia Cooperative ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on urban forestry webinars, tree ordinance workshops, and Generation NEXT legacy planning workshops.
• Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and EnvironmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on urban forestry webinar series and wildland fire professional development programs.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar Portal contributing to conservation and natural resource programming.
• Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREF has provided leadership and technical support to ANREP for years. Staff have participated in all capacities on ANREP's Executive Committee and provided web design, development and support services for the ANREP website.
• Longleaf AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREF has worked with the Longleaf Alliance on web design, development and maintenance, continuing education needs assessment, Longleaf Academy 2.0 webinars, and development of an online Longleaf Economics course available for free and for professional CEUs.
• Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREF provides web design, development and maintenance for SGSF website. Partners on wildland fire management strategy and urban forestry initiatives.
• National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Southern Regional Extension Forester is a current member of NUCFAC representing the Cooperative Extension Service. SREF received NUCFAC funding to assess impact of urban forestry projects.
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization providing continuing education unit (CEU) accreditation for SREF eLearning programs and webinars. Partners on workforce development initiatives.
• Society of American Foresters (SAF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization providing CEU accreditation for SREF programs. Partners on professional development for forestry extension agents.
• North Carolina State University Forest ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar Portal and IBSS project. Co-host of the Regional Readiness Cooperative.
• University of TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the IBSS project focused on feedstock production and logistics for biofuels. Participates in biomass field days and hardwood management workshops.
• Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREF provides web design, development, and maintenance activities for the EFETAC center which generates knowledge to predict, detect, and assess forest threats.
• National 4-H CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREF maintains the National 4-H Forestry Invitational website and sits on the Invitational Board providing leadership in all aspects of the competition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Arbor Day Foundation: National nonprofit delivering tree-planting and urban forestry education programs to similar audiences (landowners, community foresters, youth); overlaps with SREF's workforce development and urban forestry content but operates at national rather than regional scale.

Direct peers

• Texas A&M Forest Service: State forestry agency and core SREF partner operating extension, prescribed fire, and landowner assistance programs across Texas; one of the largest state-level forestry extension operations in the southeast.
• University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources: Land-grant forestry school that physically hosts SREF and provides faculty, web development, and outreach support; Warnell Outreach is a direct comparator in delivering forestry extension and continuing education in the southeast.
• Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF): Regional organization of state forestry agencies across the southern US; SREF provides web design and maintenance for SGSF and partners on wildland fire strategy and urban forestry initiatives, sharing a near-identical southeastern geography and audience.
• eXtension Foundation: National collaborative of US cooperative extension services delivering online learning and professional development for agriculture and natural resources; SREF explicitly integrates with extension.org (Trees for Energy Conservation) and uses similar eLearning and webinar infrastructure.
• Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP): Professional association for extension professionals in natural resources; SREF provides leadership and web development support to ANREP, and ANREP is featured as a host for the Seeding Success course — close peer in audience and mission.
• Longleaf Alliance: Partnership coordinating longleaf pine restoration, landowner education, and professional development; SREF develops and maintains its website and created the Longleaf Economics eLearning course, making it a deeply intertwined peer in longleaf forestry extension.

Broad incumbents

• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): Global professional organization for arborists providing CEU accreditation and training in urban forestry; directly comparable to SREF's urban forestry and arboriculture training portfolio.
• USDA Forest Service: Federal agency that funds and partners with SREF on forestry extension, research, and outreach; provides grants via NIFA and direct Forest Service support, and is the largest institutional producer of forestry education and outreach in the United States.
• Society of American Foresters (SAF): National professional society for foresters that accredits SREF's CEU programs; provides continuing education, publications, and professional development to the same forestry professional audience SREF serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soforext
• Facebookfacebook.com/Southern.Regional.Extension.Forestry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Regional Extension Forestry