On September 19, 1935 a Technical Institute course in forestry was offered at Lassen College. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the new course, not just from the college, but the timber industry who would benefit by its graduates. However, there were critics who thought the initial cost to implement it was expensive compared to other traditional vocational courses.
By the time the second semester began word had spread and there was tremendous interest from outside the region. When the fall semester of 1936 began the enrollment at the college had nearly doubled which was attributed to the forestry program. It was a turning point for the college. For the school to thrive it would need to seek out students from other areas, as the local tributary schools was not sufficient enough for the college to expand.