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2005 Best of the Web Competition Recognizes DNR Online
On September 27th, DNR Online received a Best of the Web award in the Government to Citizen category from the Center for Digital Government.
DNR’s entry, Building Customer Relationships into Sales and Service Results, focused on the success of DNR’s online store, its promotion and support. Since its debut in May 2004 -- with a $500 startup investment -- the store has served 4,000 customers and generated over $134,000 in revenue.
The Center called DNR’s site “information-rich,” and applauded the agency’s commitment to providing superior online customer service. This is the DNR website’s first national award.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ web site offers the following customer-centric features:
- Home page updated weekly on Tuesday afternoons
- Weekly fishing report
- Online calendar of events
- Press releases and news posted as it is released to media
- Monitoring of habitat and water conditions in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays
- Interactive mapping technology allowing customer map-making
- Park cabin and pavilion online reservations
- Online purchase of hunting and fishing licenses
- Online purchase of park passes, trail guides, publications, and Wye Oak products
- FREE monthly email newsletter
- Educational resources for teachers, children and students of all ages
- Information Resource Center, DNR’s virtual library
- GeoSpatial Data Center allowing customer download of data for use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software
- And many more!
DNR Secretary Ron Franks congratulated the team on the recognition. “DNR has been a governmental leader in using the World Wide Web to service our customers,” said the Secretary. “This award confirms that our team continues to be at the forefront of this exciting technology.”
"When I heard that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources was an award winner in the Center for Digital Government's Web Awards, I was very proud," said Gene Deems, DNR's eGov and Online Services Manager. "Our website, business model and our team, all focus on giving our customers the best online customer service. We believe our long-term success will be in building and nurturing these relationships with our customers. These efforts are laying the foundation for our customers to feel comfortable with and look forward to doing more business with us online."
DNR’s website, www.dnr.maryland.gov, has been online since March 1995. In calendar year 2004, the site hosted 4,840,559 visits from 1,591,382 unique web site visitors; received 381,100 repeat visitors who viewed 17,187,233 pages; and handled 19,630 email inquiries through customerservice@dnr.state.md.us.
The Center for Digital Government (www.centerdigitalgov.com) is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. A private organization based in Folsom, Calif., the Center’s advisory services, online resources and special reports provide public- and private-sector leaders with decision support, knowledge and opportunities to help them effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21st century.
October 5, 2005The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov
