Thomas Tran

Thomas Tran serves as the primary contracting professional within the Stewardship Contracting Branch of the U.S. Forest Service, where he executes landscape-scale stewardship contracts designed to advance ecological restoration and wildfire risk reduction. He manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions that integrate timber harvesting with watershed protection, infrastructure maintenance, and habitat improvement initiatives, aligning with the agency’s mission to promote sustainable forest management through collaborative, results-based contracting. His work typically involves complex, multi-objective contracts that combine forestry, construction, and environmental services under the Stewardship Contracting Authority, ensuring ecological outcomes are achieved through performance-based procurement mechanisms. Tran maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of specialized contractors, including Brink Brothers Inc., Peak Engineering LLC, Miller Timber Services, Inc., Az Hammer Down, LLC, and Dennis Kirby, all of whom have demonstrated expertise in forest management and ecological restoration. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven experience in implementing on-the-ground stewardship projects, often involving heavy equipment operations, fuel reduction, and trail or road maintenance. His contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor reliability, technical competency, and compliance with environmental regulations. A strong commitment to small business participation defines his procurement strategy, with 96.7% of his acquisitions set aside exclusively for small businesses under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate focus on empowering local, regionally-based contractors capable of delivering cost-effective, scalable stewardship services across remote forested landscapes. He rarely utilizes no-set-aside procurements, underscoring his dedication to socioeconomic goals and rural economic development. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing thinning, prescribed burning, and forest health treatments. He also frequently procures services under NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) for access road maintenance and NAICS 561730 (Landscaping Services) for post-treatment site rehabilitation. His technical domain expertise centers on integrating ecological outcomes with operational feasibility in federally managed wildland-urban interfaces.