Gavin Smith

Gavin M. Smith serves as a Contract Specialist with the USDA Forest Service–SPOC NW, where he manages the acquisition lifecycle for critical infrastructure and operational support services essential to sustaining national forest ecosystems. His responsibilities include developing solicitation documents, conducting market research, evaluating proposals, and awarding contracts in alignment with federal acquisition regulations. Smith’s portfolio centers on projects that advance ecological restoration, trail and bridge rehabilitation, wildfire resilience, and maintenance of remote administrative facilities, ensuring procurement activities directly support the agency’s mission of resource conservation and public access. Smith cultivates partnerships with a diverse array of vendors, primarily small businesses and specialized service providers experienced in forestry support, facility maintenance, and light construction. He works closely with contractors possessing niche expertise in ecological restoration, forest health operations, and remote-site janitorial services, fostering collaborative relationships grounded in compliance, performance accountability, and mission alignment. His contracting approach emphasizes transparency and vendor engagement to ensure qualified small businesses can effectively compete for opportunities. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Smith consistently prioritizes small business set-asides, with 62.5% of his acquisitions designated for total small business participation and 12.5% reserved for HUBZone firms. His contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for disadvantaged businesses, aligning with FAR 19.5 guidelines and USDA’s broader equity goals in federal procurement. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing services like prescribed burn support, invasive species control, and reforestation logistics. He also regularly procures janitorial services (NAICS 561720) for remote ranger stations and light construction (NAICS 237310) for trail and bridge infrastructure. This technical specialization underscores his deep understanding of federal land management operations and the unique logistical demands of delivering services in ecologically sensitive, often inaccessible, environments.