Auction of surplus items for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Ill., is moving online this year. Beginning Aug. 22, bidders at www.GovDeals.com/dupageforest will be able to purchase pickup trucks, SUVs, mowers, chainsaws, blowers, a generator, and a golf cart.

“We hope that a larger pool of buyers will generate higher returns, particularly for specialized items like alternative-fuel equipment and vehicles,” said Mike Webster, manager of Fleet Services and coordinator of the annual auction.

He noted that the live auctions usually attracted about 200 purchasers, while the GovDeals site has more than 300,000 registered bidders.

Bidders will still be able to view large items, such as vehicles, in person before placing a bid.

Staff members plan to carry out multiple auctions throughout the year. The District will use dupageforestauction.com as its auction information hub, where visitors can find lists of items to be included in upcoming auctions. Bidding will be open on GovDeals for seven to 10 days.