Martha DeFreest

Martha DeFreest serves as a Civil Engineer with the U.S. Forest Service’s R10 Alaska Regional Office, where she plays a pivotal role in planning, evaluating, and overseeing infrastructure acquisitions critical to federal land access and operational resilience. Her responsibilities include managing the technical evaluation of bids, ensuring compliance with federal engineering standards, and coordinating with field teams to align procurement with on-the-ground needs for roadways, bridges, and transportation corridors in Alaska’s remote and ecologically sensitive terrain. She is central to the agency’s mission of sustaining safe, year-round access to federal lands through robust civil works projects, primarily focusing on construction-phase acquisitions that demand rigorous geotechnical and environmental considerations. While specific contractor relationships are not publicly enumerated, DeFreest consistently engages with qualified firms capable of executing complex highway, street, and bridge construction in extreme climates, including those with expertise in permafrost engineering, cold-weather materials, and Alaska-specific logistics. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical competence, safety compliance, and proven experience in remote-site execution, fostering long-term partnerships with contractors who demonstrate adaptability to Alaska’s unique environmental and logistical constraints. DeFreest’s contracting portfolio reflects a 100% preference for non-set-aside awards, indicating a primary focus on technical capability over socioeconomic classifications. This reflects the specialized nature of infrastructure work in Alaska, where the pool of qualified firms with the requisite experience in high-latitude civil engineering is limited, and project success hinges on demonstrated technical proficiency rather than socioeconomic status. Her procurement activity is exclusively concentrated under NAICS 237310—Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction—underscoring her deep specialization in transportation infrastructure. She procures services related to earthwork, drainage systems, bridge foundations, pavement design, and erosion control, all tailored to the challenges of Alaska’s rugged topography and climatic extremes. Her expertise lies in ensuring that every acquisition meets Federal Highway Administration standards and supports the Forest Service’s commitment to sustainable, resilient infrastructure.