Kathryn Baker

Kathryn Baker serves as a key procurement lead within the U.S. Forest Service’s Region 5 Pacific Southwest Region, overseeing the acquisition of critical infrastructure services essential to maintaining the agency’s national forests and grasslands. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of contracts for highway, street, and bridge construction projects that support public access, wildfire resilience, and ecological restoration efforts. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with the agency’s strategic goals of sustaining forest health and public safety. Her acquisitions directly enable the maintenance and rehabilitation of transportation corridors, drainage systems, and access roads within high-use recreational and remote forest areas. Kathryn collaborates closely with a network of qualified construction contractors specializing in civil infrastructure within sensitive ecological zones. While specific vendor names are not disclosed, her contracting patterns reflect consistent engagement with firms possessing expertise in environmentally sensitive construction, erosion control, and sustainable materials. She fosters long-term partnerships with vendors who demonstrate proven experience in working under strict environmental permitting regimes and in coordination with federal and state resource agencies. Kathryn maintains a strict 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference across all her procurements, fully embracing the intent of FAR 19.5 to maximize opportunities for small businesses. Her contracting approach prioritizes socioeconomic programs including HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), and Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), ensuring equitable access to federal infrastructure contracts. This commitment reinforces the agency’s broader mission of community engagement and economic development in rural and forest-adjacent regions. Her primary technical focus is on NAICS 237310—Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction—reflecting deep expertise in civil infrastructure procurement for forested and mountainous terrains. She specializes in acquiring services related to road stabilization, culvert installation, slope repair, and trailhead access improvements, often requiring specialized equipment and adherence to NEPA and ESA compliance standards. Her domain knowledge ensures that all contracted work supports both public safety and ecological integrity.