Forest Service Research Service Rocky Mountain Research Station

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service Research Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, a civilian sub-agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducts research and manages field-based forestry science and natural-resource investigations across the Rocky Mountain region. The Research Station operates as the research arm of the Forest Service, generating scientific findings that inform forest and rangeland management policy and practice.

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains a substantial contract portfolio totaling $222.8 million in combined award potential value across 5,310 awards since 2003. Annual contract activity has declined materially over the past five years—176 awards in 2022, 162 in 2023, 132 in 2024, 89 in 2025, and 46 year-to-date in 2026—signaling reduced procurement velocity. Combined dollars obligated stand at $211.6 million, representing 95 percent of potential value. The contract competitive landscape is highly fragmented, with the top five primes by award count holding only 11 percent of recent awards. Global Force USA Inc. and Synergy Staffing Inc. lead by award frequency with 17 awards each over the past five years, though their combined potential values are modest ($695 thousand and $307 thousand respectively). By potential value, the top five primes account for just 3 percent of recent volume; Case, Lowe & Hart, Inc. leads at $2.4 million across 11 awards. The 1,670 distinct prime contractors awarded reflect substantial vendor breadth. The set-aside mix is dominated by unrestricted awards: 82 percent carry no set-aside designation, while 13 percent are small-business awards. SDVOSB awards represent 2 percent of the portfolio, 8(a) sole-source awards 2 percent, and women-owned small-business awards and other specialized designations account for less than 1 percent combined.

Grant activity is concentrated among state natural-resource agencies. The Rocky Mountain Research Station has obligated $286.4 million in federal grant dollars across 320 awards since 2013, with an upward trend through 2024 followed by slight contraction—32 awards in 2022, 41 in 2023, 48 in 2024, 46 in 2025, and 24 year-to-date in 2026. Grant recipient concentration is concentrated: the top five recipients by award count hold 63 percent of recent awards, while the top five by federal dollars hold 49 percent. Utah Department Of Natural Resources dominates at 53 awards and $64.7 million in federal dollars obligated, followed closely by Nevada Division Of Forestry at 48 awards and $61.7 million. State agencies account for the overwhelming majority of awards, with minimal university and private-sector participation. Project Grants represent 96 percent of the grant portfolio; Cooperative Agreements comprise 4 percent. The most recent grant award closed on 2026-08-24, and the most recent contract award is dated 2026-10-05.