Kari Hughes

Kari Hughes serves as the primary procurement lead for Six Rivers National Forest, a unit of the U.S. Forest Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this role, she manages the acquisition lifecycle for mission-critical services that support ecological stewardship, public facility operations, and infrastructure resilience across northern California’s forested lands. Her responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts aligned with the agency’s strategic priorities, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and environmental stewardship goals. She typically handles service-based acquisitions ranging from facility maintenance to resource management support, with a strong emphasis on operational continuity and community engagement. Hughes maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including GERMRIP LLC and CPL INC, both of which provide specialized services aligned with forest operations and facility management. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance reliability and regulatory compliance, often engaging firms with prior experience in federal land management environments. These relationships are cultivated through transparent solicitation processes and post-award performance monitoring to ensure alignment with the Forest Service’s operational standards. A strong advocate for small business participation, Hughes consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, directing 75% of her acquisitions to small businesses. This reflects a deliberate socioeconomic strategy to foster local economic development and enhance contractor diversity within rural service markets. While no set-asides are reserved for 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB categories, her high reliance on small business set-asides demonstrates a robust commitment to expanding opportunities for small, community-based vendors. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS codes 561720 (Janitorial Services), 541940 (Veterinary Services), 111940 (Hay Farming), and 812910 (Pet Care Services), reflecting the agency’s need for facility upkeep, wildlife management support, and grazing resource coordination. She also procures administrative management consulting services (541611) to optimize operational workflows. This blend of service categories underscores her technical expertise in supporting both ecological and administrative functions within a federally managed natural resource environment.