Zach Wehr

Zach Wehr serves as a Pre-Sale Forester with the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, playing a critical role in shaping the agency’s procurement strategy for forest management and ecological restoration initiatives. In this capacity, he bridges technical forestry expertise with acquisition planning, ensuring that contract requirements align with silvicultural best practices, habitat restoration goals, and wildfire risk mitigation priorities. He collaborates closely with contracting officers to define scope, develop performance work statements, and evaluate technical proposals for services ranging from timber harvesting and fuel reduction to invasive species control and trail infrastructure maintenance. His pre-sale involvement ensures that procurements are grounded in sound ecological science and operational feasibility, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of federal spending on public land stewardship. While specific contractor relationships are not currently documented, Wehr routinely engages with specialized forestry contractors, ecological consulting firms, and equipment operators experienced in USDA Forest Service protocols. He fosters partnerships with vendors possessing expertise in mechanical thinning, prescribed burning support, and reforestation logistics, emphasizing contractors with proven field experience in the Southern Appalachians and a commitment to sustainable forest practices. His working relationships are characterized by early vendor engagement, pre-solicitation outreach, and collaborative site assessments to refine acquisition needs prior to public posting. Though set-aside preferences are not formally tracked, Wehr supports the agency’s broader commitment to small business participation, particularly through HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) contractors with demonstrated capability in forest operations. He encourages small business inclusion by designing performance-based solicitations that prioritize technical qualifications over excessive bonding requirements, lowering barriers to entry for qualified local firms. Wehr’s industry focus centers on NAICS categories related to forestry and forest management services, including silviculture, forest restoration, and land conservation. He routinely procures services involving prescribed fire implementation, timber stand improvement, non-native species eradication, and forest road maintenance, leveraging deep technical knowledge in forest ecology, dendrology, and USDA Forest Service directives to ensure acquisitions meet both environmental and operational objectives.