Elbert H. Hunt

Elbert H. Hunt serves as a Procurement Assistant within the Western Zone of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, supporting the agency’s mission to sustainably manage national forest lands through strategic acquisitions. In this role, he facilitates the planning, solicitation, and administration of contracts essential to ecological stewardship, infrastructure resilience, and public safety. His responsibilities include coordinating requirements analysis, preparing solicitation documents, and ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations, particularly for maintenance, restoration, and support services critical to forest operations. He routinely handles low- to mid-dollar-value acquisitions aligned with field-level operational needs, working closely with program managers to translate technical objectives into enforceable contractual terms. While specific contractor names are not publicly enumerated, Hunt engages with a diverse ecosystem of vendors specializing in forestry support, civil engineering, and facility services. His procurement patterns reflect consistent collaboration with small businesses and specialty trade contractors capable of delivering site-specific, labor-intensive services across remote and ecologically sensitive terrain. He fosters transparent, compliant vendor relationships grounded in clear performance metrics and adherence to environmental and safety standards, ensuring contractors meet the Forest Service’s high bar for land stewardship. Hunt demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with over 63% of his acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. He actively prioritizes small business participation, with notable support for HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns, reflecting the agency’s broader equity goals. His procurement portfolio consistently channels opportunities to firms certified under federal socioeconomic programs, reinforcing inclusive economic development in rural and forest-adjacent communities. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing wildfire mitigation, trail maintenance, and habitat restoration services. He also frequently procures specialty trade contracting (238990), heavy civil engineering (237990), and janitorial services (561720), demonstrating expertise in managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects that require technical precision and environmental compliance in federally managed wildlands.