NIC Federal and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Launch Digital Passes

Visitors can pay directly by smartphone at “Your Pass Now”

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The U.S.
Forest Service (USFS) and digital government services provider NIC
Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV) are offering a new paper-free,
smartphone-enabled method for visitors to pay recreation fees in the
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area through a program called “Your
Pass Now.”

The National Scenic Area, which protects the scenic, recreational,
natural, and cultural resources along an 80-mile stretch of the
spectacular Columbia River Gorge, is the first Forest Service unit to
offer the new service. It is the fourth location nationwide to allow
visitors to pay their fees using Your Pass Now, joining three National
Park Service locations – Acadia National Park, Colorado National
Monument, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park – that also sell passes
using the Your Pass Now online service.

The new pilot program simplifies the process of paying day use fees at
Forest Service recreation fee sites in the National Scenic Area by
allowing visitors to purchase a pass at www.yourpassnow.com
for no additional cost using their personal computer or mobile device.
Passes can be purchased directly onsite using their smartphone, and no
paperwork is required, thanks to a digital technology that allows
rangers to validate license plates online.

“This new method provides the first paper-free, onsite payment option,
adding to the diversity of ways that our visitors can pay at fees sites.
This makes it more convenient than ever for people to connect with their
public lands with the added benefit of streamlining our administrative
process,” said National Scenic Area Manager Lynn Burditt.

The online system also allows visitors the option to purchase passes in
advance for a specified date, which can then be printed and placed on
their dashboard. Fees collected pay for recreation enhancement projects
and visitor-related services specific to Columbia River Gorge National
Scenic Area.

“NIC is pleased to work with the U.S. Forest Service to offer passes
through Your Pass Now,” said Robert Knapp, NIC’s Chief Operating
Officer. “Columbia River Gorge’s inclusion in Your Pass Now is an
example of federal agencies working together efficiently to expand the
service to visitors through government digital services. We are excited
that NIC can assist both the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park
Service with their passes, which help fund conservation and improvement
projects.”

Your Pass Now promotes understanding about how fees are used to protect
and maintain our nation’s important landmarks. Since Your Pass Now’s
launch in January 2016, visitors have purchased thousands of passes
using the system. Their purchases contribute to the preservation and
maintenance of protected outdoor places throughout the United States.

About NIC Inc.

Founded in 1992, NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV) is the nation’s leading provider of
official government websites, online services, and secure payment
processing solutions. The company’s innovative eGovernment services help
make government more accessible to everyone through technology. The
family of NIC companies provides eGovernment solutions for more than
4,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Forbes
has named NIC as one of the “100 Best Small Companies in America” six
times, and the company has been included four times on the Barron’s 400
Index. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.

About the U.S. Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service manages and protects 154 national forests and 20
grasslands in 43 states and Puerto Rico. The agency’s mission is to
sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests
and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
Learn more about the USFS at http://www.fs.fed.us/.
The Forest Service manages National Forest lands in the National Scenic
Area. Learn more at www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa
or follow us on social media at facebook.com/crgnsa
or www.twitter.com/crgnsa.

About Your Pass Now

“Your Pass Now” is a pilot program with the National Park Service and
the U.S. Forest Service that allows visitors the opportunity to purchase
entrance passes electronically. Your Pass Now streamlines a paper-based
purchase process that was previously only available at physical
locations or approved resellers. Your Pass Now provides a new level of
convenience and flexibility to federal lands’ visitors by delivering
entrance passes at the click of a button. For more information, please
visit www.yourpassnow.com
and follow Your Pass Now on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yourpassnow
and Twitter at www.twitter.com/yourpassnow.

Contacts

NIC Inc.
Laura Johnson, 877-642-9499
General Manager
ljohnson@egov.com