Matt Eztenhouser

Matt Eztenhouser serves as a key procurement professional within the Stewardship Contracting Branch of the U.S. Forest Service, supporting landscape-scale ecological restoration initiatives through strategic contracting. He facilitates complex, performance-based acquisitions that integrate timber harvesting with watershed protection, fuel reduction, and infrastructure maintenance to enhance forest resilience and reduce wildfire risk. His work centers on stewardship contracting authorities under Title III of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, enabling long-term, multi-year agreements that align ecological outcomes with economic activity. Eztenhouser typically manages solicitations requiring technical expertise in silviculture, forest ecology, and heavy equipment operations, ensuring compliance with federal environmental regulations and interagency coordination standards. He maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of specialized contractors, including Brink Brothers Inc., Peak Engineering LLC, AZ Hammer Down, LLC, Gabino D. Grano, and Gladhart LLC. These vendors are selected for their proven capacity in executing ecologically informed forest treatments, such as mechanical thinning, prescribed burning support, road decommissioning, and stream restoration. Eztenhouser’s contracting approach emphasizes reliability, technical proficiency, and adherence to stewardship contract performance metrics, fostering long-term partnerships built on accountability and shared conservation goals. Eztenhouser’s procurement portfolio reflects a 100% no set-aside preference, indicating a focus on full and open competition rather than socioeconomic set-asides. This approach prioritizes technical capability and operational readiness over certification-based preferences, ensuring that the most qualified firms—regardless of size or status—are selected based on merit and past performance. While small business participation is not formally mandated, the nature of the work often attracts capable small and mid-sized firms with niche expertise in forest operations. His primary procurement activity is concentrated under NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing services such as forest inventory, debris removal, erosion control, and ecological monitoring. Eztenhouser’s expertise lies in structuring contracts that deliver measurable ecological outcomes through integrated, landscape-level management, making him a critical link between forest science and on-the-ground implementation.