We converted the paper-based form into a digital one using an agile methodology, basing its look and feel on the U.S. Web Design Standards (USWDS).

The primary users for this project included:

• Guides for park tours
• Representatives of non-profit clubs, such as the then Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America) or the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)
• Special-use administrators

As we developed the form, we conducted usability testing. Each round of testing produced user feedback that would become the next group of user stories we created.

Our development process resulted in the following improvements:

• The online application captured the user’s information and routed it to the Forest Service special use administrators, where the info was pre-populated into the Forest Service’s Special Uses Data System (SUDS) via a RESTful Application Protocol Interface (API).
• A large part of this project also integrated with login.gov, a secure portal to access government services. We were the first group outside the login.gov team to complete this integration, paving the way for others to utilize its capabilities.
• Additionally, we won a second competitive bid to extend the ePermitting process to Christmas tree permits. Every winter, many national forests sell “tags” for Christmas tree cutting, allowing the public to cut down a tree from a designated national forest area.

Flexion built an application that enables people to purchase and print Christmas tree tags online. This application offers a much better user experience than the previous model, in which the user had to go to local Forest Service offices and retailers to purchase the tags. In addition to the permits, the application includes digital maps to direct users to the appropriate areas within the forests where they can cut down their Christmas trees.

The public now has more straightforward and accessible access to these permitting services without limitations like traveling to an office or worrying about business hours. Since usability testing was a key focus of the project, the resulting online forms meet and exceed user needs.