Dave Plummer

Dave Plummer serves as a key procurement lead within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, supporting the U.S. Forest Service’s mission to enhance forest health and reduce wildfire risk through strategic acquisitions. He manages contracts for specialized ecological restoration and infrastructure services, ensuring alignment with federal land management priorities. His acquisitions focus on field-based labor and technical services essential to prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, hand piling, and watershed restoration activities. Plummer works closely with field biologists, fire management teams, and resource specialists to translate operational needs into compliant, mission-driven contract requirements, ensuring that procurement supports both ecological outcomes and public safety. Plummer maintains collaborative relationships with a network of small, locally based specialty trade contractors who possess domain expertise in forest management operations. He consistently partners with firms skilled in manual forest treatment, erosion control, and trail maintenance, prioritizing vendors with proven experience in remote, ecologically sensitive environments. His procurement approach emphasizes reliability, safety compliance, and environmental stewardship, fostering long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance and adaptability to dynamic field conditions. Plummer demonstrates a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic equity, directing 100% of his contracting activity toward small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. He actively engages with small businesses across all categories, including those owned by women, veterans, and economically disadvantaged individuals, ensuring broad participation in federal forest restoration efforts. His contracting patterns reflect a deliberate strategy to strengthen local economies while building a resilient, capable vendor base equipped to deliver high-quality services in challenging terrain. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 238990 (All Other Specialty Trade Contractors), encompassing services such as vegetation management, fuel reduction, trail construction, and invasive species control. Plummer’s technical expertise lies in acquiring labor-intensive, non-structural field services critical to ecological resilience, requiring deep understanding of USDA Forest Service protocols, NEPA compliance, and environmental mitigation standards. His work ensures that contracting directly advances the agency’s mission of sustainable forest stewardship.