Kelly Gutknecht

Kelly Gutknecht serves as a key procurement lead within the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a unit of the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture, where she manages acquisitions critical to ecological restoration and land stewardship. Her role centers on executing contracts that support habitat rehabilitation, invasive species control, and infrastructure development necessary for scientific research and public access. She specializes in service-based acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission to preserve one of the nation’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie ecosystems, ensuring compliance with federal contracting regulations and environmental stewardship standards. Gutknecht collaborates closely with a network of specialized environmental service providers, including small businesses with expertise in native plant restoration, erosion control, and ecological monitoring. While no specific contractor names are publicly identified, her procurement patterns reflect a preference for vendors with demonstrated experience in prairie ecology, wetland management, and sustainable land maintenance. Her working relationships are characterized by long-term partnerships with firms capable of delivering site-specific, ecologically sensitive services under performance-based contract structures. She maintains a strict 100% Small Business Set-Aside policy for all acquisitions, consistently prioritizing participation from small businesses across socioeconomic categories, including 8(a), HUBZone, and women-owned firms. This reflects a deep institutional commitment to fostering economic opportunity within rural and conservation-focused communities while ensuring contract performance aligns with the agency’s environmental goals. Her procurement focus is exclusively on NAICS 561730 (Landscaping Services), encompassing native vegetation establishment, prescribed burning support, trail and boardwalk maintenance, and invasive species eradication. She possesses specialized technical expertise in ecological contracting, ensuring that all services meet rigorous natural resource management standards and support long-term prairie resilience.