Lois K Tate

Lois K. Tate serves as a Contracting Officer for the Colville National Forest, part of the U.S. Forest Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions to support the agency’s mission of ecological restoration, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable forest management. Her portfolio includes procurement of environmental services, civil engineering works, and forestry support activities, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and alignment with strategic land management objectives. She plays a pivotal role in translating operational needs into legally sound, competitively awarded contracts that uphold public trust and environmental stewardship. Ms. Tate maintains collaborative relationships with a diverse pool of contractors, including firms specializing in forest restoration, trail and road construction, and environmental consulting. She regularly engages with small businesses and qualified vendors capable of delivering technical expertise in habitat rehabilitation, erosion control, and forest infrastructure maintenance. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, clear scope definition, and accountability through robust contract administration practices, fostering long-term vendor partnerships grounded in reliability and regulatory compliance. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Ms. Tate consistently prioritizes small business participation, with nearly 54% of her awards designated for small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, including a notable 14.8% allocated to HUBZone contractors. Her procurement patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to expanding economic opportunity in rural and underserved communities, aligning with federal goals to strengthen local economies through targeted contracting. She actively encourages small business readiness and often collaborates with SBA representatives to facilitate vendor development. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), followed by heavy civil engineering under 237310 and 237990, and environmental consulting under 541620. She specializes in acquiring services related to watershed restoration, wildfire risk reduction, trail rehabilitation, and forest road maintenance, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with ecological engineering standards and federal land management protocols.