Georgia Forestry Commission

Georgia Forestry Commission, a state government agency operating under Georgia's Office of the Governor, serves the federal government primarily as a grant recipient and BPA contractor delivering specialized forestry, reforestation, wildfire mitigation, and invasive species management services. The Commission operates as a prime recipient on 305 of 308 recent federal awards (99%), with a federal grant footprint dominating its activity (140 awards from USDA Forest Service Region 8-Southern Region alone) and a smaller contract vehicle anchored to a $300 thousand Blanket Purchase Agreement with USDA Forest Service for nursery and seedling services. The Commission is not a small business set-aside vendor; all recent contract work is full-and-open competitive.

The Commission's customer concentration is stark: USDA Forest Service Region 8-Southern Region accounts for 140 awards and $6.5 million combined potential value — roughly 46% of all recent awards. The Department of Agriculture broadly (Forest Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and National Resources Conservation Service) represents roughly 90% of recent award volume. The Army Installation Management Command Southeast Region, Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4, and other interior agencies appear at smaller scale. Activity has remained roughly flat year over year (20 awards in 2022 to 23 in 2024, declining to 11 in 2026 through August), with six awards facing completion within the next twenty-four months.

Recent contract work under the Blanket Purchase Agreement (14 task orders, $281 thousand combined potential value) centers on nursery seedling bed space, barefoot seedling lifting and delivery, pine cone processing, and related forest regeneration support. Representative 2026 contract awards include a $30 thousand call for FY 2026 barefoot seedling bedspace at New Ellenton, South Carolina; a $32,365 call for seedling lift and delivery at Savannah River Site; and a $20 thousand call for pinecone processing. All work is performed in Georgia or South Carolina and completed on a firm fixed-price basis with no small business set-aside.

Federal grant work—the Commission's primary federal engagement—flows through Cooperative Forestry Assistance (CFDA 10.664), Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CFDA 10.720), Forest Health Protection (CFDA 10.680), State & Private Forestry Hazardous Fuel Reduction (CFDA 10.697), Cooperative Fire Assistance (CFDA 10.698), and related programs. Recent major awards include a $369.9 million Consolidated Payment Grant (September 2025) under Cooperative Forestry Assistance spanning Forest Stewardship, Forest Health Protection, Urban & Community Forestry, State Fire Capacity, Volunteer Fire Capacity, and Landscape Scale Restoration; a $2.073 million cooperative agreement (August 2026) for timber sales preparation, reforestation, and forest products under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Restoration/Revegetation program; and a $1.061 million grant (July 2026) for suppression aircraft maintenance and repairs supporting 13 Cessna 182S fixed-wing patrol aircraft, two Thrush air tankers, and Type 2/Type 3 helicopters operated by the Commission's 11 full-time pilots and one aircraft mechanic. The Commission also receives pass-through grant awards from the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for cogongrass detection, control, and education; a $200 thousand Cooperative Agreement (July 2026) funded field survey, herbicide treatment, and outreach for cogongrass eradication across Georgia. The Commission acts as a sub-recipient on three recent awards: emergency protective measures support through Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, forest landowner engagement through American Forest Foundation, and longleaf pine and hardwood habitat restoration through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The Commission's capability portfolio reflects its specialized role as a state forestry partner: nursery operations and seedling production (including longleaf and loblolly pine regeneration), wildfire detection and suppression aviation, prescribed fire management, forest health monitoring, invasive species detection and control, hazardous fuel reduction on non-federal lands, timber sale preparation, and reforestation support across national forests in Georgia and South Carolina. Top NAICS categories are Support Activities for Forestry (43 awards), Flower/Nursery Stock/Florists' Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (12 awards), and Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (7 awards). Top PSC codes center on Natural Resources/Conservation (Seeds and Nursery Stock, Seedling Production/Transplanting, Seed Collection/Production) and fire prevention/control.