Mineral Materials Permits: Google Maps and On-line Purchase

1. Mineral Materials Permits: Google Maps and On-line Purchase Suzan Hixson, I-Web Program Manager, WO Richard H. Adams, IRM Consulting Group, Inc. I-Web Project Tom Potter, GIS Coordinator, USFS, Prescott NF, AZ

2. e-Permits – Business Case • USDA Forest Service (FS) personnel issue more than one million permits annually, to more than 500,000 citizens and more than 50,000 businesses and groups. • These permits cover over 50 different types of activities and are governed by specific rules, regulations and processes. • Though issuance of permits is primarily the responsibility of field personnel, the specific rules governing permitting activities are developed by various FS staffs. • With the advent of the World Wide Web and the President’s Management Agenda for E‑Government (e-Gov), citizens and businesses expect permits to become easier to understand, more consistent, increased accessibility, and the application process as automated as possible. • The E-Government Act of 2002 reinforces this expectation and encourages the Forest Service to become more efficient when providing permitting information and issuing permits.

3. e-Permits – I-Web Solution • After several meetings, discussions, and workshops with a variety of relevant FS Forest Management personnel, it was decided that the I-Web development team would begin an e-Permit application that would focus on streamlining the permitting process for several permit applications that already exist in I-Web, but, are currently issued internally by the field staff. • This application represents the first I-Web “outward-facing” internet application. The first release will include over-the-counter (OTC) Mineral Materials permits (non-commercial). • The e-Permit application will focus on providing secure, internet-based issuance and payment processing (credit card and eCheck). Additionally, the application will encompass the electronic transmission of financial information to the Forest Service I-Web System, Pay.gov and FFIS financial system

5. e-Permits – I-Web Solution (cont.) • Additional Permit Types to follow are: • Special Uses (SUDS) • Commercial Filming Permits • Minerals • Locatable Minerals • Notices of Intent • Salable Minerals • OTC Mineral Material Permits • Commercial Mineral Materials Permits • TIM • Fuel wood Permits • Mushroom Gathering Permits • Range • Grazing Permits

6. New Challenges for I-Web • First “Outward-facing” application for I-Web. • I-Web has always been a back-office, “Inward-facing” application suite that resided (and used) behind the firewall. • Presents new challenges along multiple fronts: • Public access to application imposes new data & application security requirements. • Interfacing w/public requires compliance with OMB, PRA/GPEA/OGC requirements, e-Government Act, etc. • Collection of fees on-line requires that Fiscal requirements are understood and met. • LEO Concerns / Requirements

7. E-Permits Solution – Hosting Options • Several e-Permits application hosting options were investigated, including creating stand alone applications. • After extensive research, integration with the FS Web Portal solution looks like the most viable hosting / integration option for e-Permits. • Initially met with FS Web Portal Team on November 25th to discuss potential integration. • Arrived at potential solution based on very preliminary analysis and discussions. • The I-Web e-Permits development group went back and looked at the potential solution in greater detail, identifying topics and issues for further discussion.

8. E-Permits Solution – Hosting Options FS Web Portal Integration • Potential solution details: • e-Permits application would be co-hosted with FS Web Portal. • Use ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) to interface with I-Web data. • Up-front spatial and tabular drill-down features maintained within the FS Web Portal application. • Can take advantage of GSTC spatial efforts (mapping portal) that FS Web Portal Group has been looking at. • Interface with I-Web data for drill-down (Mineral Sites, locations, commodities/prices etc.) exposed through ESB. • Permit transaction maintained by I-Web. • Exposed through ESB • Credit Card Transaction via pay.gov (OCI-I method).

9. E-Permits Solution – Hosting Options FS Web Portal Integration (cont.) • Solution offers numerous advantages for e-Permits: • FS Web Portal is a “Certified and Authorized” environment to host the e-Permits application. • Integration of front-end drill-down w/FS Web Portal both offers and ensures seamless customer experience. • Consistent UI between FS Web Portal and e-Permits drill-down. • As FS Web Portal UI evolves and changes, e-Permits front-end drill-down UI will change with it. • Use of ESB offers: • Queuing features offer potential of extending e-Permits hours of operation beyond I-Web’s. • Is architecturally consistent with CIO office future direction. • Saves development cost by leverage existing I-Web ESB efforts.

21. Moving into the Future • e-Permits application fits into existing ESB and isconsistent with CIO office future direction. • e-Permits application is not redundant. It is a a new piece of an existing application. • The application leverages the FS Portal Interface and Pay.gov. • Portable to future web interfaces. • A successful implementation will be a model for the development of other permit applications (0.5+ Million transactions per year).

22. A Bigger Picture: Not Just Permits - Freedom of Information • Information Access / Sharing / Transparency • Resource applications could be developed to access All I-Web information through the FS Portal ESB architecture (not just permits). • Provide I-Web information access to the Public and to USFS Personnel. • Similar ESB application could be to provide access to all USFS information/data (transparency).