Denise L Storms

Denise L. Storms serves as a Contracting Officer for the Tahoe National Forest under the U.S. Forest Service, where she manages the acquisition of goods and services critical to forest stewardship, wildfire mitigation, and infrastructure resilience. Her portfolio encompasses a wide range of federal contracts aligned with the agency’s mission to sustain ecological health and public safety, including support activities for forestry, civil engineering, and facility maintenance. She ensures compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation while advancing sustainable resource management through strategic procurement planning and contract administration. Storms cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse array of vendors, primarily small businesses and specialized contractors experienced in forestry operations, trail and road construction, and environmental services. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance accountability and regulatory compliance, fostering reliable delivery of mission-critical services across remote and ecologically sensitive landscapes. She frequently engages firms with expertise in forest restoration, hazardous fuel reduction, and conservation land management. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Storms consistently prioritizes small business participation, with over half of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. She actively promotes opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and maintains a balanced procurement strategy that supports broader economic equity without compromising operational needs. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to expanding access for disadvantaged entrepreneurs within the natural resources sector. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), encompassing vegetation management, fire prevention, and ecological monitoring services. She also regularly procures highway and civil engineering construction (237310, 237990) and janitorial services (561720) to maintain public access and facility integrity. Storms brings specialized expertise in managing complex, multi-year contracts that require coordination across environmental, safety, and engineering domains to support the Tahoe National Forest’s stewardship objectives.