Claudia A Mahan

Claudia A. Mahan serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Southern Research Station within the U.S. Forest Service’s Department of Agriculture, where she manages the acquisition of critical goods and services to support applied forest science and ecological monitoring operations. Her procurement responsibilities focus on enabling field research readiness through the timely procurement of specialized environmental, logistical, and infrastructure support solutions. She handles a diverse portfolio of contracts aligned with the Station’s mission to sustain forest health, ensure environmental compliance, and maintain operational capacity across remote research sites, with an emphasis on mission-critical field services and scientific support. Mahan maintains a consistent working relationship with LSG Management, LLC, a key contractor providing specialized forestry support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes collaborative vendor partnerships grounded in technical proficiency and operational reliability, particularly with firms experienced in ecological field operations and environmental compliance. She prioritizes vendors capable of delivering responsive, site-specific solutions that meet the unique demands of federal research infrastructure in sensitive ecosystems. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong commitment to small business participation, with approximately two-thirds of her awards designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This demonstrates a deliberate strategy to foster economic opportunity within the environmental services sector by directing procurements toward small, locally rooted firms with expertise in forestry and conservation science. Mahan’s procurement focus is concentrated in three primary NAICS categories: Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112); Support Activities for Forestry (115310); and Environmental Consulting Services (541620). She routinely acquires services related to reforestation, invasive species management, habitat restoration, and ecological data collection, reflecting deep technical familiarity with forest science operations and the regulatory frameworks governing federal land management. Her expertise ensures that acquisitions directly advance the Station’s mission of sustainable forest stewardship through science-driven procurement.