Ecology's Web History

Date

Web Feature

Web Applications

Web Management / Administration

Web Usage

* * * 1993-1995 Biennium * * *

Aug 1994

Ecology's public Web site launched as part of WA Dept. of Information Services' (DIS) Internet pilot project - http://olympus.dis.wa.gov/www/
access/ecology/ecyhome.html; site was linked from "Home Page Washington".  (First Web page was created by CERN in Nov. 1990; working versions of first popular Web browser (Mosaic) were released in Sep. 1993.)

"Hobby" effort by Bob Monn; continued through June 1998 when formal support was added through a developmental assignment (see below).

* * * 1995-1997 Biennium * * *

Jul 1995

Ecology's home page was "hit" approx. 50 times per weekday (estimated based on monthly data).

Oct 1995

Training provided to Ecology staff interested in Internet publishing.

Dec 1995

Ecology's Web site migrated to production UNIX server at DIS -- http://www.wa.gov/ecology/

Nov 1996

Implemented first Ecology-specific search function using GLIMPSE.

Jan 1997

Oldest archived version of Ecology's home page; provided high-level organization of content by function/activity, program, and geographic area. Through time, the programmatic organization of content became increasingly prominent until April 2001 when the functional organization ("Services") again was given equal visibility on the home page.

Apr 1997?

SEPA Register released; Ecology’s first Internet application to provide dynamic content through database access; platform was shared Netscape Web server at DIS. (Developers: Randy Moore and CBSI)

* * * 1997-1999 Biennium * * *

Jul 1997

Ecology's home page was "hit" approx. 250 times per weekday (estimated based on monthly data).

Sep 1997

Launched Facility/Site Identification System ("F/S on the Web") (Netscape Livewire/UNIX application) (Developers: Randy Moore and CBSI)

Jan 1998

On-line Permit Assistance System (OPAS) launched. (Developer: Randy Moore)

Jun 1998

Find-It! Washington launched by State Library; Ecology acknowledged as a leader among state agencies in metatagging Web sites to support search.  Find-It! was implemented as the search engine for Ecology's site sometime in the second half of CY 1998.

Ecology's Administrative Services (AS) executed 12-mo. developmental assignment with the Solid Waste Program for Mike Sosnow (75% time) to support program Web coordinators.

Group purchase of FrontPage 98 for Web coordinators.

Jul 1998

On-site FrontPage 98 training for Web coordinators.

Aug 1998

News releases (titles with links to full news releases) added to Ecology's home page. News releases had been published on the Web site since April 1995, but were accessible only from a secondary page.

Nov 1998

Access Washington launched by DIS; Ecology was first agency to adopt @WA "look and feel"; Permit Assistance Center site highlighted in Governor's press conference.

Feb 1999?

EPIC database deployed (staff directory including subject referral). (Developers: Randy Moore and PSSG)

* * * 1999-2001 Biennium * * *

Jul 1999

Shorelands Aerial Photos deployed (Ecology's first Internet GIS application). (Developers: Michael Heiser and Dan Saul)

At end of above-referenced developmental assignment, AS began funding 75% of Mike Sosnow's position in SWFA for continued agency Web support.

Ecology's Web site was visited 1,709 times per weekday.

Late 1999

BiblioMaker deployed; intranet application generates bibliographic summaries for Internet and manages electronic publications on the Internet Web site. (Developer: Steve Barrett)

Jan 2000

Set up five listserv e-mail lists via DIS.

Group purchase of FrontPage 2000 for Web coordinators. (Date?)

Apr 2000

Mike Sosnow left Ecology.

May 2000

New Web administrator position created in AS.

Jun 2000

Michael Heiser hired as Web administrator.

Aug 2000

Bob Monn reassigned as IT Strategist and Agency Web Manager to focus more attention on Web management.

Sep 2000

Ecology's production Web site migrated from shared UNIX server to dedicated Windows server; "staging" server also implemented; address changed from www.wa.gov/ecology to www.ecy.wa.gov.

Oct 2000

Implemented Microsoft Index Server as Ecology's search engine.

Privacy notice published.

Ecology's web site was recognized as one of the top state environmental web sites in a national survey conducted by the Resources for the Future; see Electronic Democracy and Environmental Governance: A Survey of the States (138 KB PDF).

Dec 2000

Find-It! Consumer launched by State Library; Ecology is one of six state agency sponsors.

Apr 2001

New site design implemented including templates for high-level and lower level pages with style sheets. Retained @WA "look and feel"; reduced programmatic orientation of high-level navigation.

Jun 2001

External content policy published.

* * * 2001-2003 Biennium * * *

Jul 2001

Ecology's Web site was visited 4,441 times per weekday.

Aug 2001

Facility/Site Atlas deployed (Ecology's first interactive mapping tools on the Internet). (Developer: Dan Saul and ESRI)

Dec 2001

Implemented "Search Tracker" (ASP/Access application) to provide data to Web coordinators on searches and search results.

Jan 2002

Ecology Grant Recipient Invoice Preparation System (eGRIPS) deployed. (Developers: Tommy Eden and Shawn Sesna)

Feb 2002

Upgraded from FrontPage 2000 to FrontPage 2002.

May 2002

Environmental Information Management (EIM) System Release 1.0 deployed (pre-built data downloads by study, WRIA, and county). (Developer: EJ Julio)

Nov 2002

EIM Release 2.6 deployed (database query with GIS-based mapping of sampling locations). (Developers: EJ Julio and Dan Saul)

Participated in DIS Web Academy course on Web content management (training in Nov. 2002; Academy seminars Dec. 2002 and Jan. 2003 on news release project.)

Dec 2002

Non-English language portals added to Ecology's Web site. Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese provided initially. Russian added later.

Apr 2003

Completed publication of Ecology's external forms via BiblioMaker.

May 2003

Public Events Calendar launched.

Redeveloped On-line Permit Assistance System and Environmental Permit Handbook launched. (Developer: Michael Heiser)

Jun 2003

New site design implemented (smaller font size).

* * * 2003-2005 Biennium * * *

Jul 2003

Non-English language portals added to @WA; Ecology proposed project and Ecology's Translation and Interpretation Review Teams provided staff support.

See July 17, 2003 news release.

Ecology's Web site was visited 8,345 times per weekday (non-Ecology visitors only).

Oct 2003

Implemented National Environmental Information Exchange Network (NEIEN or Exchange Network) node and production data flow from F/SID to EPA's FRS (first in nation). (Developers: Bill Kellum and Windsor Solutions)

EIM Release 3.0 deployed (database search with map interface). (Developers: EJ Julio and Dan Saul)

Apr 2004

Ecology's search functionality (Microsoft Index Server) replaced by Custom Ask George search service provided by DIS. Ecology was one of the early users of this service along with the Governor's Office, the State Investment Board, and the Traffic Safety Commission.

May 2004

Aug 2004

Celebration of 10th anniversary of Ecology's Web site!

* * * 2005-2007 Biennium * * *

* * * 2007-2009 Biennium * * *