Darci Pankratz

Darci Pankratz serves as a key procurement lead within the Mount Hood National Forest, overseeing contracts essential to the sustainable management and operational resilience of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most ecologically significant forested landscapes. Responsible for acquiring specialized support services under the U.S. Forest Service’s mission, Pankratz manages acquisitions focused on forest infrastructure maintenance, ecological restoration, and public safety initiatives. Their procurement portfolio centers on field-based support activities that ensure the integrity of forest roads, trails, bridges, and visitor facilities, aligning closely with the agency’s strategic priorities in resource conservation and public access. Pankratz maintains collaborative relationships with a network of small, locally rooted contractors specializing in forestry support services, including vegetation management, erosion control, and trail construction. These vendor partnerships are typically formed through competitive set-aside mechanisms, emphasizing regional expertise and familiarity with sensitive forest ecosystems. The contracting approach prioritizes long-term vendor reliability, technical proficiency in USDA protocols, and adherence to environmental compliance standards, fostering consistent, high-quality service delivery across remote and challenging terrain. A staunch advocate for small business participation, Pankratz applies a 100% small business set-aside policy across all eligible acquisitions under FAR 19.5, ensuring equitable access for economically disadvantaged enterprises. This reflects a deliberate commitment to empowering local, socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, including HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, to contribute meaningfully to federal land stewardship efforts. The primary NAICS focus is 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—encompassing services such as timber stand improvement, fuel reduction, wildfire mitigation support, and forest inventory coordination. Pankratz’s expertise lies in procuring technical, labor-intensive field services that require specialized knowledge of forest ecology, USDA environmental regulations, and seasonal operational constraints, ensuring that all acquisitions directly advance the Mount Hood National Forest’s mission of ecological sustainability and public safety.