Air Quality Bureau Releases New Web Site

The Air Quality Bureau unveiled its new web site today, which follows the same design scheme as the rest of the department. The new site was reworked in an ongoing effort to create a more seamless transition between each of the Department of Natural Resources Bureau's web pages. The new site appears completely different but is similar to the old site in content and structure. It includes many enhanced features such as the following:

• The site has been made more navigable and user-friendly

• Common links are provided on all pages so that users can click through only three links (usually only two) to reach any given page instead of five or more, no matter where they are located in the site.

• The most pertinent information is placed up front.

• Many of the individual pages are spruced up with images to make them more eye-appealing.

• The home page, citizen site and professional site all have reserved places for news articles so that the main pages do not look cluttered with tacked-on notes.

• A summary of "what's new" is shown on the home page (covering the last week or so) and the existing 90-day what's new archive remains as a separate link.

• The main public input link is changed to a "Public Input Hub" where links to the different opportunities for input exist.

• The technical resources page is now the "One-Stop-Technical-Data-Shop"; one page that contains all technical data resources found anywhere on the site (the resources are still available via the individual pages).

• The news archive is split into several pages based on the year the news was posted.

• Every page includes keywords to allow the search engine to easily pinpoint the most relevant page(s).

Any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the new web site may be forwarded to Brad Ashton of the Air Quality Bureau. He may be reached by phone at 515-242-6532 or by email at brad.ashton@dnr.iowa.gov.