Melissa Heckenlaible

Melissa Heckenlaible serves as a key procurement professional within the Kisatchie National Forest, supporting the U.S. Forest Service’s mission to sustain forest health and public infrastructure through strategic acquisition planning. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on civil construction, vegetation management, and facility support services, ensuring alignment with federal environmental and safety standards. Her work directly enables the agency’s priorities in road and trail resilience, ecological restoration, and public access infrastructure, making her a critical link between operational needs and compliant contracting execution under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. While specific contractor names are not publicly available, Heckenlaible maintains active partnerships with firms specializing in forestry support, civil engineering, and signage systems. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting and quality assurance protocols, fostering long-term vendor relationships with contractors experienced in federal land management environments. She consistently engages small and mid-sized firms capable of delivering field-responsive services under challenging terrain and environmental constraints. Heckenlaible demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 75% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to prioritize small business participation, including HUBZone, SDVOSB, and 8(a) certified firms, ensuring equitable access to federal opportunities while building a resilient, locally rooted contractor base. Her contracting patterns align with USDA and Forest Service goals to promote economic development in rural communities through targeted procurement. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction), reflecting her leadership in critical infrastructure projects, complemented by significant activity in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry) for vegetation control and fire mitigation services, and NAICS 339950 (Sign Manufacturing) for wayfinding and safety signage. This technical specialization underscores her expertise in managing complex, multi-disciplinary acquisitions that integrate environmental compliance, public safety, and land management objectives.