Sarah L Ackerman

Sarah L. Ackerman serves as a Contract Specialist for the USDA Forest Service–SPOC NW, where she manages the acquisition lifecycle for critical infrastructure and ecological restoration projects. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to sustain forest ecosystems through targeted procurement of trail and bridge rehabilitation, wildfire resilience infrastructure, and remote facility maintenance. Ackerman specializes in complex, mission-critical contracts under FAR Part 19, ensuring compliance with socioeconomic goals while delivering high-priority public safety and conservation outcomes. She handles a diverse portfolio of construction, support services, and environmental contracting actions, often coordinating with field engineers and environmental specialists to align procurement strategy with on-the-ground operational needs. Ackerman maintains collaborative relationships with a broad base of small and mid-sized contractors, particularly those with expertise in forestry support activities and rural infrastructure. Her contracting patterns reflect consistent engagement with firms possessing specialized knowledge in ecological restoration, trail construction, and forest service logistics. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she frequently works with vendors certified under HUBZone and small business programs, fostering a competitive, regionally diverse supplier base that understands the unique challenges of federal land management. Her procurement strategy is heavily oriented toward small business participation, with over 83% of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses—primarily through Total Small Business and HUBZone set-asides. HUBZone preferences account for nearly 40% of her awards, reflecting a deliberate focus on economically distressed communities near national forest boundaries. She actively promotes socioeconomic equity by prioritizing eligible small businesses and ensuring full and open competition where set-asides are not applicable. Ackerman’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), which comprises over 65% of her contracts, including vegetation management, invasive species control, and forest health monitoring. She also routinely procures highway and bridge construction services (NAICS 237310) and janitorial support for remote administrative sites (NAICS 561720). Her technical expertise spans environmental compliance, federal construction standards, and sustainable land management practices, making her a key steward of both fiscal responsibility and ecological integrity in federal procurement.