Erica Borum

Erica Borum serves as a Contracting Officer Representative for the White River National Forest under the U.S. Forest Service, supporting the agency’s mission to sustain forest ecosystems and maintain critical public infrastructure. In this role, she provides technical oversight and contract administration for construction and equipment-related acquisitions, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and alignment with forest stewardship goals. She works closely with contracting officers to monitor performance, manage modifications, and enforce contract deliverables for projects ranging from post-wildfire restoration to ranger station maintenance and road infrastructure repair. Her expertise lies in bridging field operations with procurement execution to deliver mission-critical outcomes on public lands. Borum maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including FRONTIER TINY HOMES, LLC and GERMRIP LLC, both of which provide specialized construction and equipment solutions tailored to remote, environmentally sensitive terrains. Her partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with demonstrated capability in ruggedized infrastructure and mobile forestry equipment, often requiring adaptability to high-altitude and wildfire-impacted zones. She fosters collaborative, performance-driven relationships that emphasize safety, environmental compliance, and timely delivery under challenging field conditions. Her procurement strategy reflects a balanced approach to socioeconomic goals, with approximately half of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5, and the other half awarded without set-aside based on technical necessity. This pattern underscores her commitment to broadening small business participation while maintaining operational flexibility for complex, mission-essential requirements. She actively supports the inclusion of small, disadvantaged, and locally based vendors where feasible, aligning with USDA’s broader equity and resilience objectives. Borum’s primary technical focus centers on NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) and 532412 (Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing). She procures heavy equipment services, temporary access roads, erosion control infrastructure, and specialized forestry machinery essential for land management and emergency response. Her domain expertise includes understanding the operational demands of wildland firefighting support, vegetation recovery, and durable infrastructure in high-use recreational zones.