Derek Huebner

Derek Huebner serves as a Wildlife Biologist within the USDA Forest Service’s Incident Procurement unit, where he provides critical ecological expertise to support rapid-response acquisitions for wildland fire and all-hazard incidents. His role bridges scientific analysis with procurement decision-making, ensuring that contracted resources—such as mobile command units, temporary housing, water systems, and heavy equipment—are ecologically sound and aligned with land management objectives. He evaluates contractor proposals for environmental compliance, habitat impact mitigation, and wildlife protection measures, ensuring that operational needs do not compromise sensitive ecosystems. His technical input directly informs the selection of vendors capable of delivering mission-critical services while adhering to NEPA, ESA, and other environmental regulatory frameworks. While specific contractor names are not available, Huebner collaborates with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in incident support services, including firms that provide mobile field infrastructure, wildlife monitoring equipment, and ecological restoration logistics. He works closely with contractors who demonstrate proven experience in wildland fire response, environmental compliance, and rapid deployment under dynamic conditions. His partnerships prioritize vendors with field-ready capabilities and a track record of adapting to evolving incident scenarios while minimizing ecological disruption. Huebner supports the Forest Service’s broader commitment to socioeconomic contracting, consistently advocating for participation by small businesses, including 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB-certified firms that offer specialized environmental and incident support services. He actively encourages small business engagement by identifying opportunities where technical expertise, rather than scale, is the primary requirement, fostering inclusive contracting practices that align with federal socioeconomic goals. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS categories related to environmental consulting (541620), emergency and disaster response services (561621), and specialized equipment rental and leasing (532410). He specializes in acquiring services that support wildlife monitoring, habitat stabilization, and post-fire recovery, leveraging deep domain knowledge in ecological systems, fire behavior, and resource protection to guide acquisition strategy.