Kelsey DeJean

Kelsey DeJean serves as a Forest Road Maintenance Engineer with the Deschutes National Forest, where she oversees the planning, design, and procurement of infrastructure projects critical to forest access, wildfire response, and ecological stewardship. Her role ensures that forest roads meet safety, environmental, and engineering standards while supporting public recreation and resource management operations. She is responsible for initiating and managing acquisition packages under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, primarily for construction and maintenance services that sustain the forest’s transportation network. Her procurements are strategically aligned with the U.S. Forest Service’s mission to balance public access with ecosystem resilience, focusing on durable, low-impact infrastructure that mitigates erosion and supports habitat connectivity. Kelsey collaborates closely with specialized civil construction contractors experienced in remote terrain engineering, erosion control, and sustainable road rehabilitation techniques. She maintains consistent partnerships with firms proficient in slope stabilization, culvert installation, and gravel road surfacing, often engaging vendors with proven experience in federal forest environments. Her working relationships emphasize technical competence, regulatory compliance, and environmental sensitivity, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in performance accountability and adaptive project delivery. She maintains a 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference under FAR 19.5, consistently directing all eligible road maintenance procurements to small businesses, including HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, and Women-Owned Small Businesses. This reflects a strong institutional commitment to socioeconomic equity and regional economic development, ensuring that contracting opportunities directly benefit local and rural enterprises with the capacity to operate in challenging forest conditions. Her procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 237310—Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction—reflecting her technical expertise in earthwork, drainage systems, unpaved road maintenance, and temporary access infrastructure. She procures services such as grading, rock placement, bridge culvert replacement, and vegetation management along forest roads, ensuring compliance with NEPA and environmental impact mitigation requirements. Her domain expertise lies in low-volume, high-maintenance forest transportation systems designed for seasonal use and ecological protection.