April Banks

April Banks serves as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for the Lincoln National Forest under the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. In this role, she provides critical oversight of performance and compliance for contracts supporting sustainable forest management, including vegetation control, wildfire risk reduction, and trail and road infrastructure maintenance. She ensures contractor adherence to technical specifications, environmental regulations, and federal acquisition standards, acting as the primary liaison between field operations and service providers. Her procurement focus is exclusively on support activities for forestry, aligning with the agency’s mission to enhance ecological resilience through targeted, mission-critical contracting. While specific contractor names are not available, April Banks cultivates consistent partnerships with firms specializing in ecological restoration, forestry equipment operation, and forest health services. She works closely with vendors who demonstrate technical proficiency in prescribed burning, invasive species management, and sustainable timber harvesting practices. Her working relationships emphasize performance-based outcomes, with a strong focus on safety, environmental compliance, and timely delivery of field services across remote and ecologically sensitive areas. April Banks maintains a 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference under FAR 19.5, reflecting a steadfast commitment to economic inclusion and local workforce development. All her acquisitions are reserved exclusively for small businesses, ensuring that contracting opportunities directly benefit eligible entities, including those certified under 8(a), HUBZone, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business programs. This pattern reinforces the agency’s broader socioeconomic goals and promotes regional economic vitality through targeted procurement. Her primary procurement focus is NAICS 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—encompassing services such as fuel reduction, forest inventory, erosion control, and habitat enhancement. She specializes in procuring field-based ecological services, including manual and mechanical vegetation management, wildfire mitigation planning, and trail rehabilitation. Her technical expertise lies in understanding forest ecology, silvicultural practices, and federal environmental compliance frameworks, ensuring that contracted work directly advances the Lincoln National Forest’s stewardship objectives.