The animals are available on the Internet by the Bureau of Land Management. Mary Mitchell, the General Services Administration official who oversees the government's online activities, said it is too early to identify all the benefits from federal e-commerce. But officials have already noticed an average 30 percent increase in participation in government auctions, she said. Shoppers not only will find some bargains, but they also interact with some obscure government offices if they shop the Web. For instance, the Minerals Management Service, which manages the nation's oil, natural gas and mineral resources, has used the Web to advertise oil-drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico.
Property is for sale online.
GSA's site offered a lightkeeper's house in Sault Ste. The Pew survey identified at least 164 government Web sites that sell products and services directly to the public. There are some sites that are fully the match of their private sector counterparts, and there are some sites that are pretty elementary. Amtrak, the U.S. Mint and the Postal Service offer full-service sites. Others simply put brochures online and take orders by phone or e-mail.