Lake County residents can do more online with new website
After 14 years, the online presentation of the Lake County Forest Preserve District has been revamped to reflect changing times in the organization.
Not that www.lcfpd.org lacked information, but district officials felt an overhaul of the original format to include added features was in order. The new and improved version was quietly put in service Nov. 21.
"Typically, a website like this one would last maybe five or six years. Technology changes and it was time to update it," Executive Director Ty Kovach said.
Since Jan. 1, 2000, the district has grown from 20,581 acres on 44 sites to 30,184 acres on 65 sites, including purchases that have been approved by the forest board but have not closed. Also during that time, the number of miles of trails has increased from about 86 to 182.
"It's been a long time coming," forest board President Ann Maine said. "It's got a beautiful, clean layout. There's a lot more people can do" on the website, she said.
Kovach said the old software didn't allow the district to perform certain functions. The new website was about 30 months in the making and has about 550 pages of information. It's designed to be easier to use and provide more information and options for visitors.
"It's pretty complex," Kovach said.
According to the district, the site is "sleeker and more intuitive" with easy-to-follow navigation and a custom e-commerce sales system.
Website visitors can search a database of Lake County plants and animals by preserve, download trail maps, locate recreation spots, or explore Lake County Discovery Museum exhibitions.
"We want people to learn from our website, too," Maine said.
Other features allow website visitors to apply for jobs, purchase gift cards, pay fines, and register for programs or daily and annual permits. Information about various projects, such as regional trails and the tunnels associated with them, for example, or conservation work, such as dam removal, also is available.
A new, separate website, accessible from the main site, also has been developed for the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves, the charitable arm of the district.