Howard Whitman

Howard Whitman serves as Group Leader for the Region 5 Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service, where he oversees the planning, solicitation, and administration of mission-critical acquisitions aligned with ecological stewardship and public land infrastructure priorities. In this role, he directs procurement activities that support ecological restoration, wildfire resilience, and recreational facility maintenance across national forests and grasslands. His portfolio is exclusively focused on professional services related to surveying and mapping, ensuring precise geospatial data collection to inform land management decisions, habitat planning, and infrastructure development. Whitman collaborates with a network of specialized geospatial service providers, including firms with expertise in LiDAR acquisition, aerial photogrammetry, and topographic surveying. While specific contractor names are not disclosed, his procurement patterns reflect consistent engagement with vendors possessing technical certifications in federal geospatial standards and experience in remote, rugged terrain operations. He fosters long-term partnerships with contractors who demonstrate adaptability to dynamic field conditions and compliance with USDA environmental and data integrity protocols. Whitman maintains a 100% small business set-aside preference across all solicitations under FAR 19.5, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to socioeconomic contracting. All acquisitions are reserved exclusively for small businesses, creating equitable access for firms certified under HUBZone, 8(a), and Women-Owned Small Business programs. His approach prioritizes capacity building within underserved geospatial service sectors, ensuring that small firms can compete meaningfully in high-precision federal contracting. His primary technical domain centers on NAICS 541370—Surveying and Mapping Services—where he procures high-resolution topographic surveys, cadastral mapping, vegetation inventory mapping, and digital terrain modeling. These services directly support forest inventory analysis, trail and road planning, and post-fire recovery assessments. Whitman’s expertise lies in leveraging geospatial technology to enhance decision-making for land management, with a clear focus on accuracy, scalability, and compliance with federal geospatial data standards.