Silviculturist

Ted Frank serves as the South Zone Silviculturist for the USDA Forest Service’s Incident Procurement unit, where he plays a critical role in enabling rapid-response wildfire and all-hazard operations through specialized procurement of silvicultural and forest management support services. His expertise lies in identifying and acquiring technical resources essential to post-fire rehabilitation, fuel reduction, and ecological restoration efforts across national forests and grasslands. He works closely with incident management teams to ensure timely acquisition of services that restore forest health and resilience, focusing on contracts that support fire-adapted ecosystems and sustainable land management practices. Ted maintains strong working relationships with a network of small business contractors specializing in forestry support activities, including vegetation management, seedling production, erosion control, and prescribed burn planning. He collaborates frequently with locally rooted firms possessing field-level expertise in native species propagation, site preparation, and post-disturbance reforestation. His procurement approach emphasizes long-term ecological outcomes over short-term cost savings, fostering partnerships with vendors who demonstrate technical proficiency in ecological restoration and adaptive management techniques. Ted consistently prioritizes full small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, ensuring that 100% of his procurements are reserved for small businesses, including 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB concerns with proven capabilities in silvicultural operations. His contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic equity and regional economic development, actively seeking out firms embedded in fire-affected communities to rebuild local capacity and knowledge. His primary procurement focus is NAICS 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—encompassing services such as tree planting, invasive species control, forest thinning, and post-fire site rehabilitation. He specializes in acquiring technical services that integrate ecological science with on-the-ground implementation, ensuring that contracted work aligns with Forest Service standards for biodiversity conservation and landscape-scale resilience.