Margaret Forrest

Margaret Forrest serves as the primary procurement lead for the USDA Forest Service, overseeing a diverse portfolio of contracts critical to operational readiness across national forests and grasslands. She manages acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission to sustain ecosystem health, mitigate wildfire risks, and maintain infrastructure in remote terrains. Her work spans service-based contracts supporting field operations, including logistics, pest control, janitorial services, and specialized transportation, ensuring that frontline teams have the resources needed for ecological restoration and emergency response. Forrest’s procurement approach emphasizes compliance with federal acquisition regulations and strategic alignment with Forest Service priorities in resilience and resource stewardship. She maintains consistent relationships with a select group of contractors including ACI FEDERAL INC, ONE STOP RECRUITING LLC, GONDO ROY E MD, THE LOCUMS CO, LLC, and AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, reflecting a pattern of engagement with niche service providers in staffing, logistics, and technical support. These partnerships are typically established through competitive sealed bidding and simplified acquisition procedures, with a strong preference for vendors capable of delivering mission-critical services in austere environments. Her contracting patterns suggest a reliance on specialized, responsive vendors with proven experience in federal land management support. Forrest demonstrates an unwavering commitment to small business participation, with 100% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize economic opportunity for small, community-based firms and ensure diverse supplier engagement across the agency’s operational footprint. She consistently prioritizes socioeconomic programs that enhance access for small businesses, reinforcing the Forest Service’s broader goals of equitable contracting and local economic development. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS codes 561720 (janitorial services), 561710 (pest control), 115310 (forestry support activities), 484230 (long-distance specialized trucking), and 333924 (industrial material handling equipment). These reflect deep technical expertise in acquiring services and equipment essential for maintaining forest infrastructure, controlling invasive species, and enabling mobility in rugged terrain—underscoring her domain knowledge in ecological and operational logistics.