Margaret M. Cook

Margaret M. Cook serves as a Contracting Officer for the Western Zone of the U.S. Forest Service, within the Department of Agriculture, where she manages the acquisition of critical services supporting sustainable forest management and public land stewardship. Her portfolio encompasses a wide range of mission-critical contracts tied to wildfire risk reduction, trail and road maintenance, habitat restoration, and facility operations. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with the agency’s strategic priorities of ecological resilience and public safety. Cook typically handles service-based acquisitions under FAR Part 12 and Part 37, with a strong emphasis on performance-based contracting and outcome-driven deliverables. Her contractor relationships are primarily with small businesses and specialty trade firms that deliver field-based environmental and infrastructure services. While no single vendor dominates her award portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing expertise in forestry support, solid waste management, and janitorial services for remote federal facilities. Cook fosters collaborative, long-term partnerships with vendors who demonstrate operational flexibility, environmental compliance, and proven experience in rugged, federally managed terrains. Her procurement approach prioritizes vendor reliability, safety records, and adherence to federal environmental standards. Cook demonstrates a robust commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with over 60% of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. She actively promotes participation by service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, and HUBZone small businesses, reflecting a deliberate strategy to expand economic opportunity in rural and underserved communities. Her set-aside preferences align with the agency’s mission to strengthen local economies while ensuring qualified, mission-ready contractors deliver essential services. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), followed by specialty trade contracting (238990), solid waste collection (562111), and janitorial services (561720). She specializes in acquiring ecological restoration, infrastructure maintenance, and sanitation services for national forest lands, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with forest service operations, environmental regulations, and field logistics. Cook’s expertise lies in translating complex land management needs into clear, compliant, and achievable contract requirements.