This article presents two case studies that use federal contracting data to understand: 1) the value and types of activities being procured by the US Forest Service to accomplish forest maintenance and restoration objectives, and 2) assess the degree to which forest communities are currently benefiting from this work. We then discuss the potential of existing legislative authorities to encourage utilization of local businesses, thereby reducing leakage and helping struggling rural communities build the capacity to retain more of the dollars invested by land management agencies within their local economy.