Region 8 - Southern Region

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service R8-Southern Region, a civilian sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages federal contracts and grants for forest management, land improvement, and fire suppression activities across the eight-state Southern Region. The sub-region executes its mission primarily through a large base of small and mid-size contractors and state forestry agencies rather than a few dominant primes.

The R8-Southern Region has awarded 32,208 federal contracts since 2002, with a combined potential value of $2.48 billion and $2.31 billion obligated (93% of potential value). Award volume declined from 1,510 in 2023 to 785 in 2025, recovering slightly to 1,065 in 2026; six awards are recorded year-to-date in 2027. The contract portfolio is highly fragmented: the top five primes by award count hold just 12 percent of recent awards over the last five years, and the top five by potential value account for only 4 percent of combined potential value. Patrick Environmental Inc. leads by award count with 163 awards worth $23.4 million, followed by Wildlands Service, Inc. with 150 awards valued at $6.8 million. Williams Construction & Cabinetry, Inc. ranks first by potential value at $61.5 million across 43 awards. Across the portfolio lifetime, 5,842 distinct prime contractors have been awarded. The award mix is dominated by unrestricted competitive awards (61 percent), with small-business set-asides comprising 35 percent of all awards. Within small-business set-asides, 8(a) sole source represents the largest reserve category at 2 percent of total awards, while HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB designations each account for less than 1 percent.

The R8-Southern Region has obligated $2.09 billion in federal grant dollars across 1,532 grants since 2012, with a combined federal and non-federal total of $3.1 billion. Grant volume peaked at 293 awards in 2024, declining to 210 in 2025 and 76 year-to-date in 2026. State forestry agencies dominate the recipient base: the top five recipients by award count hold 29 percent of recent awards over the last five years, and the top five by federal dollars account for 28 percent of federal obligated dollars. Texas A&M Forest Service leads with 55 awards totaling $165.3 million in federal dollars, followed by Georgia Forestry Commission with 63 awards valued at $107 million. North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services holds $128.9 million in federal dollars across 50 awards. Across the portfolio lifetime, 253 distinct grant recipients have participated. Grants are predominantly Project Grants (90 percent of all awards), with Cooperative Agreements representing 10 percent.

Recent contract solicitations include small-business set-asides for Francis Marion National Forest jack rail fencing (due October 16, 2026) and elevator repair and maintenance at a supervisor's office (due August 11, 2026).