Ben Rowland

Ben Rowland serves as a key procurement professional within the National Forests in Mississippi, supporting the U.S. Forest Service’s mission to sustainably manage public forest lands through strategic acquisition of operational and infrastructure support services. He is responsible for managing contracts that enable critical forest management activities, including trail and road maintenance, wildfire mitigation infrastructure, and ecological restoration support. His procurement portfolio centers on mission-critical services that ensure public safety, resource resilience, and long-term forest health, with a strong emphasis on compliance with federal contracting regulations and environmental stewardship standards. Rowland’s contracting activity is exclusively focused on small business participation, with 100% of his acquisitions set aside under FAR 19.5 for small businesses. He consistently prioritizes partnerships with small, locally-based vendors capable of delivering specialized forestry support services across Mississippi’s diverse terrain. His working relationships are built on collaborative engagement with small business contractors who demonstrate technical proficiency in forest operations, equipment maintenance, and ecological monitoring, fostering a reliable pipeline of responsive, community-connected vendors. His procurement focus is narrowly aligned with NAICS 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—which encompasses services such as timber stand improvement, invasive species control, prescribed burn support, fuel reduction, and forest access maintenance. He procures specialized labor, equipment operation, and technical consulting services essential to executing the agency’s operational plans under the National Environmental Policy Act and multiple-use management directives. Rowland’s contracting patterns reflect a deep institutional commitment to socioeconomic equity and local economic development, ensuring that every procurement opportunity advances both ecological goals and small business growth within the region. His work directly enables the National Forests in Mississippi to fulfill its mandate through agile, compliant, and community-driven acquisition strategies.