Amanda Gehrt

Amanda Gehrt serves as a Wildlife Biologist with the Gila National Forest under the U.S. Forest Service, where she plays a critical role in shaping ecological procurement strategies that align with federal land stewardship objectives. Her work directly informs acquisition decisions related to habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, invasive species control, and riparian ecosystem management. She collaborates closely with contracting officers to define technical requirements for scientific services and field equipment, ensuring that procurements support the agency’s mission of maintaining ecological integrity while enabling sustainable public access. Her acquisitions typically center on biological surveys, environmental monitoring systems, GIS data collection, and habitat enhancement projects requiring specialized ecological expertise. While specific contractor relationships are not publicly enumerated, Gehrt routinely engages with environmental consulting firms, ecological surveyors, and field services vendors possessing expertise in native species management, endangered species compliance, and forest health assessment. Her working relationships are characterized by a preference for vendors with demonstrated experience in federal land management contexts, particularly those capable of executing complex, multi-year field studies under USDA protocols. She values contractors who integrate adaptive management principles and provide verifiable, peer-reviewed data outputs. Gehrt actively supports socioeconomic contracting goals, consistently prioritizing small business participation through 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB set-asides where technically feasible. She advocates for contracting pathways that empower local and regional environmental firms with deep knowledge of Southwestern ecosystems, fostering community resilience and workforce development in rural areas. Her procurement approach reflects a deliberate alignment with USDA’s broader commitment to equitable access and regional economic inclusion. Her primary procurement focus falls under NAICS categories related to ecological services, including 541620 (Environmental Consulting), 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting), and 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) for habitat infrastructure. She specializes in procuring wildlife tracking systems, remote sensing equipment, vegetation monitoring tools, and field-based ecological restoration services, leveraging her scientific background to ensure technical rigor and regulatory compliance in every acquisition.