Carl T Ericksen

Carl A. Ericksen serves as a Contract Specialist for the Colville National Forest, a unit of the U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, where he manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions to support sustainable forest management and infrastructure resilience. His responsibilities include developing solicitation documents, conducting market research, evaluating proposals, and administering contracts aligned with FAR guidelines. He primarily handles acquisitions related to forestry support activities, logging operations, and specialized equipment, ensuring compliance with federal environmental and operational standards while facilitating timely delivery of mission-critical services to maintain ecological health and public access across federal forest lands. Ericksen works with a diverse base of vendors, including small and mid-sized firms specializing in forestry support services, timber harvesting, and precision instrumentation. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with contractors possessing proven experience in forest restoration, trail maintenance, and ecological monitoring systems. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, clear scope definition, and contractor accountability, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in regulatory compliance and operational reliability. His procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 85.7% of acquisitions conducted without set-asides, indicating a focus on broad market access and value-driven outcomes. However, he actively supports small business participation, allocating 14.3% of awards to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both efficiency and socioeconomic goals without reliance on specialized programs like 8(a) or HUBZone. Ericksen’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing services such as prescribed burning, invasive species control, and watershed restoration. He also frequently procures logging services under NAICS 113310 and specialized monitoring equipment under NAICS 334519, reflecting his technical expertise in ecological management systems and field-based instrumentation. His domain knowledge spans forest ecology, land use regulations, and operational logistics, making him a key liaison between field teams and the acquisition community.