Major changes in federal forest policy in Alaska have resulted in a dramatic downsizing of the state's forest industry. These changes have driven efforts for economic restructuring and improved support for Alaskan communities. The University of Alaska Sitka Forest Products program at the University of Alaska Southeast is one example of efforts to better support the Alaskan forest industry. In an effort to best target educational programs, an industry needs assessment was conducted. Despite the fact that the Alaskan forest industry is different in many ways from the industry in the lower 48 states, educational needs are quite similar to those previously identified in Oregon and Virginia. Generally, marketing and business topics were higher educational needs than traditional processing topics.