Create Your Own Path: Become a Forest Inventory Contractor

June 29, 2023

Northern Research Station FIA employee examining an urban tree. Cook County, Illinois, USA. Credit: Sjana Schanning for USDA Forest Service.

Become a data collection contractor for the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. FIA is the nationwide initiative responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting, and distributing information and data about the extent, content, and condition of the nation’s rural and urban forests. Federal government contractors serve a vital role in helping to complete FIA data collection fieldwork and opportunities exist across the country.

Register as a Federal Government Contractor and bid on contract calls of interest across rural and urban forests. Bid packages are evaluated by Contracting Officers and Contracting Officer Representatives for “best award value,” which incorporates pricing and technical capabilities. Additionally, crew leaders must meet current certification standards.

For more information on forest inventory plot measurement processes, check out this video. 

For information specific to the Northeast, download this flyer. See contacts below for other regions.

Regional Contacts
Northeast: Gail Geiger – [email protected]
Rocky Mountains: Maryfaith Snyder – [email protected]
Pacific Coast: Johnathan Beals-Nesbit – [email protected]