The Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) is a gateway web site that provides access to data systems in the Endangered Species and Fisheries and Habitat Conservation program areas, as well as other FWS and Government data sources. ECOS provides a central point of access to assist FWS personnel in managing data and information as well as provide general public access to information from numerous FWS databases.
ECOS allows users to view and search data related to environmental
conservation.
Some of the information provided is information about:
- Threatened and Endangered Species
- Critical Habitat for Threatened and Endangered Species
- Fisheries and Fish Passage
- Conservation Plans and Agreements
ECOS also provides a mapping tool, the ECOS Mapper, that provides a way to visualize the information provided by ECOS.
ECOS is also home to the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) system, which will be a tool for action agencies, their applicants, and other project proponents to use during the initial phases of project development and assessment. The system, currently under development by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), will allow for more effective integration of listed resource conservation needs and the eventual streamlining of Endangered Species Act Section 7(a)(2) consultation. The first phase of this system will allow project proponents to obtain species lists, species ecological information, bibliographic references, recommended conservation measures for incorporation into project designs, and Service contact information via the internet. It will also notify Service offices of upcoming project activities allowing for better workload planning. IPaC is being developed as a subsystem of ECOS in order to build on its existing capabilities in the subsystems related to Section 7(a)(2) consultation and species information, among others.
ECOS does not determine or house all of the data needs for Ecological Services. Each program determines its own data needs and standards. The data are created and maintained by the originating program via guidance from the Washington Office. ECOS is capable of:
- Single point access to multiple program data sets and information.
- Linking within and across programs according to the priorities of users
- Secure data entry and editing at the request of the data owner.
Each ECOS application is designed to meet the information needs of a specific program. The applications manage everything from simple point and click operations to spatial analytical tools. ECOS provides centralized access to a range of tabular and spatial data. Geographical evaluations of Service activities are also possible. By providing cross program links and integration, ECOS facilitates data management and review at multiple program levels.