Heather Keough

Heather Keough serves as a District Wildlife Biologist with the USDA Forest Service’s Incident Procurement unit, where she plays a critical role in supporting rapid-response operations for wildland fires and all-hazard incidents. Her expertise bridges ecological science and acquisition strategy, ensuring that logistical and operational needs—such as habitat restoration, fireline construction, and post-fire rehabilitation—are met through timely, ecologically sound contracting. She routinely manages acquisitions for field-based services that require specialized ecological knowledge, coordinating with vendors to deliver mission-critical resources while adhering to environmental compliance standards under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal regulations. While specific contractor names are not publicly enumerated, Keough maintains consistent partnerships with firms possessing proven capabilities in ecological restoration, wildfire suppression support, and forestry operations. Her procurement approach prioritizes vendors with on-the-ground experience in national forest systems, particularly those capable of mobilizing rapidly and operating in remote, high-risk environments. She fosters collaborative relationships with contractors who demonstrate technical proficiency in habitat management, invasive species control, and soil stabilization techniques essential to post-incident recovery. Keough exhibits a strong, consistent commitment to small business participation, with 100% of her procurements structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. She actively prioritizes contracting opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone firms, and other socioeconomically disadvantaged vendors capable of delivering specialized ecological services. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate effort to build capacity within the small business community while ensuring compliance with federal socioeconomic goals. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115112 (Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating) and NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing services such as reseeding burned areas, installing erosion controls, planting native vegetation, and providing technical forestry support. She brings deep domain expertise in post-fire land rehabilitation, ecological resilience planning, and the integration of biological restoration into incident response frameworks.