Kathy Matthews

Kathy Matthews serves as a key procurement lead within the Boise National Forest, part of the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture, where she manages acquisitions critical to ecological stewardship and forest resilience. Her responsibilities center on securing specialized support services that advance reforestation, invasive species management, wildfire risk mitigation, and infrastructure maintenance across Idaho’s forested lands. She oversees the full lifecycle of contracting actions—from market research and solicitation to award and performance monitoring—ensuring alignment with federal regulations and agency strategic goals. Her acquisitions are exclusively focused on non-construction, science-driven support activities that enable on-the-ground land management operations. Matthews works closely with a network of small, specialized contractors experienced in ecological restoration, forest health monitoring, and prescribed fire operations. She cultivates long-term partnerships with firms possessing technical expertise in silviculture, wildlife habitat enhancement, and remote sensing applications for forest analytics. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, her contracting patterns reflect a preference for vendors with proven field capabilities, local regional knowledge, and demonstrated compliance with environmental standards under the National Environmental Policy Act. Her procurement strategy is fully aligned with a 100% small business set-aside mandate under FAR 19.5, reflecting a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic equity and local economic development. She consistently directs awards to small businesses, including those certified under HUBZone, SDB, and WOSB programs, prioritizing firms rooted in rural and forest-dependent communities. This approach not only fulfills federal mandates but also strengthens community resilience through targeted contracting. Matthews’ primary focus is NAICS 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—encompassing services such as timber stand improvement, fuel reduction, erosion control, and forest inventory surveys. She procures technical services requiring specialized field expertise, including ecological assessment, GIS mapping, and crew-based forest treatment operations, ensuring that acquisitions directly support the Boise National Forest’s mission of sustainable ecosystem management.