Christopher Bouton

Christopher Bouton serves as the Trails, Wilderness, and Dispersed Recreation specialist for the San Juan National Forest, overseeing the planning, procurement, and execution of infrastructure projects that support public access and ecological integrity in remote and sensitive landscapes. His role is central to the U.S. Forest Service’s mission of sustainable stewardship, managing acquisitions for trail construction, erosion control, signage, access roads, and dispersed recreation facilities. Bouton’s procurement portfolio emphasizes low-impact, ecologically sensitive construction and maintenance activities, ensuring compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and wilderness preservation standards. He works closely with field staff and resource specialists to align contracting needs with conservation goals and public safety priorities. Bouton maintains consistent working relationships with MEDVED GLOBAL INC, EBSS UNLIMITED, LLC, and VALENCIA, DAN, all of whom specialize in outdoor recreation infrastructure and environmental restoration services. These contractors are frequently engaged for site-specific, labor-intensive projects requiring expertise in native material use, trail alignment design, and minimal-impact construction techniques. His procurement approach favors vendors with demonstrated experience in federal land management contexts, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in technical proficiency and environmental compliance. Bouton’s contracting program is entirely dedicated to small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a strong institutional commitment to socioeconomic equity and local economic development. All acquisitions are reserved for small businesses, ensuring opportunities for regionally based firms with expertise in outdoor recreation and natural resource infrastructure. This pattern supports the Forest Service’s broader goals of community engagement and capacity building within rural and underserved markets. His procurement focus is exclusively aligned with NAICS 333120, Construction Machinery Manufacturing, indicating a specialization in the acquisition of specialized equipment and machinery used for trail and wilderness infrastructure—such as compact excavators, mulchers, brush cutters, and trail-building vehicles. This technical domain requires deep understanding of mechanical reliability, terrain-specific performance, and maintenance protocols for high-use, low-access environments.