Claudia Halkyard

Claudia F. Halkyard serves as a Contract Specialist for the USDA Forest Service–SPOC NW, where she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions supporting ecological restoration, infrastructure resilience, and public land maintenance. Her work directly advances the agency’s mission to sustain forest ecosystems through targeted acquisitions for trail and bridge rehabilitation, wildfire mitigation infrastructure, and remote facility operations. She handles a diverse portfolio of contracts under FAR Part 13 and Part 14, including simplified acquisitions, sealed bids, and negotiated procurements, with a strong emphasis on compliance, risk mitigation, and mission-aligned sourcing. Halkyard cultivates collaborative relationships with a broad spectrum of vendors, particularly those specializing in forestry support services, environmental construction, and technical consulting. She regularly engages with small businesses and regional contractors capable of operating in remote, ecologically sensitive environments. Her procurement approach prioritizes vendor reliability, environmental stewardship, and operational flexibility, fostering long-term partnerships with firms experienced in federal land management contexts and sustainable resource practices. A dedicated advocate for socioeconomic contracting, Halkyard consistently structures procurements to maximize small business participation, with over half of her awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. She actively leverages HUBZone set-asides to support economic development in underserved rural communities, aligning with the Forest Service’s commitment to equitable opportunity. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate strategy to empower disadvantaged businesses while ensuring qualified performance on critical public infrastructure projects. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing vegetation management, erosion control, and ecological monitoring services. She also frequently procures commercial and institutional construction under NAICS 236220, along with architectural services and sewage treatment solutions for remote ranger stations and visitor facilities. Halkyard’s technical expertise lies in managing complex, mission-critical acquisitions that balance environmental regulations, public safety, and resource conservation objectives.