Michelle Bernard

Michelle Bernard serves as a Civil Engineer within the USDA Forest Service’s Incident Procurement unit, where she plays a critical role in enabling rapid response to wildland fires and all-hazard incidents through the acquisition of specialized civil infrastructure and site preparation services. Her expertise ensures that incident management teams receive timely access to essential logistical assets—including temporary access roads, erosion control systems, water supply infrastructure, and site grading for mobile command centers. Bernard manages solicitations under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, aligning procurement actions with emergency response timelines and National Incident Management System protocols. She specializes in performance-based contracting for site preparation and earthwork services critical to operational readiness across national forests and grasslands. Bernard collaborates with a dynamic network of qualified contractors specializing in emergency civil works, including small businesses with expertise in rapid deployment of temporary infrastructure and hazardous terrain remediation. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, her procurement patterns reflect consistent engagement with firms possessing proven capabilities in wildfire-affected environments, often requiring mobilization within 24–48 hours. Her working relationships are built on pre-qualified vendor lists, emergency contracting authorities, and performance-based evaluations that prioritize responsiveness, safety compliance, and environmental stewardship. Bernard maintains a 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference for all solicitations under FAR 19.5, reflecting a strong institutional commitment to socioeconomic inclusion. She prioritizes contracting with small businesses, including HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, ensuring equitable access to high-impact incident response opportunities. Her procurement strategy actively supports the Forest Service’s mandate to strengthen local economies while enhancing incident response capacity through diverse vendor participation. Her primary focus lies in NAICS 238910 (Site Preparation Contractors), where she procures specialized earthmoving, grading, drainage, and temporary access construction services tailored to rugged, fire-impacted terrains. Bernard’s technical domain expertise encompasses erosion control, sediment basin installation, and temporary road construction under extreme environmental conditions, ensuring that infrastructure acquisitions meet both operational urgency and ecological mitigation standards.