Jared L. Baker

Jared L. Baker serves as a Contract Specialist at the Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions to support the agency’s mission of ecological stewardship and public infrastructure resilience. His responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for critical services such as pest control, water and sewer infrastructure, graphic design, and custom software development. Baker ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with operational priorities that maintain safe, accessible, and sustainable recreational environments for the public. Baker collaborates with a diverse range of vendors, including small businesses specializing in environmental services, IT solutions, and public communications. He fosters partnerships with firms possessing technical expertise in ecological compliance, digital outreach, and infrastructure maintenance, often engaging contractors through competitive sealed bidding and simplified acquisition procedures. His working relationships emphasize responsiveness, regulatory adherence, and performance accountability, ensuring that vendor deliverables meet the high standards required for federal land management operations. A strong advocate for small business participation, Baker consistently prioritizes small business set-asides, with 75% of his acquisitions designated for total small business eligibility under FAR 19.5. His contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic programs, frequently awarding contracts to small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone firms, and other qualified small entities. This approach supports economic development in rural communities surrounding the recreation area while expanding the pool of capable vendors aligned with federal environmental and operational goals. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 237110 (water and sewer infrastructure), 561710 (pest and weed control), 541511 (custom computer programming), and 541430 (graphic design services). These categories reflect the agency’s need for integrated technical support—from digital visitor platforms to ecological pest management systems—demonstrating his expertise in bridging environmental stewardship with modern operational technology.