Joey Korst

Joey Korst serves as a key secondary contact within the Stewardship Contracting Branch of the U.S. Forest Service, supporting the agency’s mission to advance ecosystem resilience through landscape-scale stewardship contracting. While not the primary contracting officer, Korst plays a vital role in facilitating the planning, coordination, and execution of complex, multi-objective acquisitions that integrate timber harvesting with ecological restoration, watershed protection, and infrastructure maintenance. Their work ensures compliance with statutory requirements under the Stewardship Contracting Authority, enabling the Forest Service to deliver holistic land management outcomes while adhering to federal procurement regulations. Korst maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of specialized contractors, including Brink Brothers Inc., Peak Engineering LLC, Miller Timber Services, Inc., AZ Hammer Down, LLC, and Dennis Kirby. These partnerships reflect a preference for firms with proven expertise in forest restoration, trail and road construction, and specialty trade services critical to on-the-ground implementation. The working relationships are characterized by collaborative, project-based engagement, often involving long-term, multi-year task orders that require technical adaptability and environmental compliance. A strong commitment to small business participation defines Korst’s contracting patterns, with 85.7% of acquisitions set aside for total small businesses under FAR 19.5 and 14.3% reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster economic opportunity within rural and forest-dependent communities while ensuring access to niche capabilities. The primary NAICS focus areas include 238990 (All Other Specialty Trade Contractors) for forest restoration and fuel reduction work, 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) for access and infrastructure projects, and 237990 and 236220 for civil engineering and institutional building needs. These reflect a technical domain rooted in ecological land management, where procurement supports integrated outcomes across forestry, hydrology, and public safety.