Marcus Ridley

Marcus Ridley serves as an Archaeologist with the National Forests in Alabama, operating under the U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture. In this role, he provides specialized cultural resource management expertise to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and other federal environmental review statutes. Ridley oversees the planning and execution of archaeological surveys, heritage assessments, and mitigation strategies for infrastructure projects, recreation development, and habitat restoration initiatives across Alabama’s national forest lands. His procurement activities center on securing professional scientific services to document, evaluate, and preserve archaeological resources, directly supporting the agency’s mission of ecological and cultural stewardship. Ridley collaborates with a network of qualified cultural resource consulting firms, including small businesses certified under the 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB programs, to deliver field surveys, artifact analysis, and archival research. His working relationships emphasize technical proficiency in cultural resource management and adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archaeology. He prioritizes partnerships with firms demonstrating proven experience in federal compliance frameworks and regional expertise in Southeastern U.S. archaeology. Ridley maintains a 100% small business set-aside preference across all procurements, consistently directing contracts to small, disadvantaged, and veteran-owned firms specializing in archaeological and anthropological services. This reflects a strong institutional commitment to socioeconomic equity and capacity building within the cultural heritage sector, ensuring that federally funded projects support both preservation goals and small business growth. His procurement focus is exclusively under NAICS 541990, encompassing all other professional, scientific, and technical services related to cultural resource management. He acquires services including Phase I and II archaeological surveys, historic property evaluations, tribal consultation coordination, and cultural impact assessments, drawing on deep domain expertise in prehistoric and historic archaeology of the Southeastern United States.