Cary Pence

Cary Pence serves as a key procurement lead within the USDA Forest Service, overseeing contracting activities critical to maintaining the nation’s forest and grassland infrastructure. Responsible for managing acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission of ecological resilience and operational readiness, Pence specializes in construction and site preparation contracts that support wildfire mitigation, trail maintenance, and remote infrastructure development in rugged terrain. Their procurement portfolio emphasizes mission-critical civil works projects requiring technical expertise in earthmoving, erosion control, and access route construction, ensuring compliance with federal environmental and safety standards. Pence maintains consistent working relationships with a focused group of contractors, including ACI FEDERAL INC and AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, both experienced in federal land-based construction, as well as ONE STOP RECRUITING LLC and THE LOCUMS CO, LLC, which provide specialized staffing solutions for field operations. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven experience in federal land management environments and the ability to mobilize quickly in remote, high-risk locations. The working relationship pattern is characterized by repeat engagements with contractors demonstrating reliability, safety compliance, and familiarity with Forest Service protocols. A defining feature of Pence’s contracting approach is the exclusive use of Total Small Business Set-Aside authority under FAR 19.5, with 100% of relevant acquisitions reserved for small businesses. This reflects a strong institutional commitment to socioeconomic equity and capacity building within the federal contracting community, prioritizing small businesses regardless of specific designation, while ensuring competitive, capable vendors deliver essential services. The primary technical focus of Pence’s acquisitions centers on NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) and 238910 (Site Preparation Contractors), reflecting deep expertise in civil infrastructure projects on federal lands. Procurements typically involve grading, drainage, culvert installation, and access road development—services essential to forest health, fire response, and public recreation access. This specialization underscores a domain-specific understanding of terrain challenges and environmental compliance in federally managed wildland areas.