U.S. Board on Geographic Names

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U.S. Board on Geographic Names
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Need For StandardizationIn The Late Nineteenth
Century
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• Numerous scientific and exploration expeditions
  conducted by the Federal government

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Many agencies were making maps and charts of the
same area
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Resulted in confusion, lack of communication,
and conflicting maps documents
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The Solution

• 4 September 1890 U.S. Board on Geographic Names
  established by Presidential Executive Order
• 25 July 1947 Board re-established by Public Law

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U.S Board on Geographic Names Mission

• Formulate principles, policies, and procedures
  to be followed with reference to both domestic
  and foreign geographic names

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U.S. Board on Geographic Names Mission

• Promulgate in the name of the board, decisions
  with respect to geographic names and principles
  of geographic nomenclature and orthography.

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DNC Membership
Department of Agriculture (2) Department of
Commerce (3) Government Printing Office
(1) Department of the Interior (7) Library of
Congress (2) U.S. Postal Service (2) Department
of Homeland Security (2)
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DNC Membership

• Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Forest Service
• Department of Commerce
• Office of Coast Survey
• Bureau of the Census
• Government Printing Office

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DNC Membership

• Department of the Interior
• U.S. Geological Survey
• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Fish Wildlife Management

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DNC Membership

• Library of Congress
• Geography Map Division
• Cataloging Policy Support Office
• U.S. Postal Service
• Address Management
• Department of Homeland Security
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Coast Guard

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Domestic Names Committee

• Principles
• Reflect the Basic Philosophy of the Board
• Use of the Roman Alphabet
• Reflect Local Usage
• Congress Executive Order
• Other Authorities Administrative Names
• Only One Official Name
• New Names Not Deleted Only Changed or Made
  Historical

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Domestic Names Committee

• Policies
• Provide Uniformity in the
• Decision Making Process

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Domestic Names Committee

• Policies
• Congress
• Name Changes
• Commemorative Names
• Names in Wilderness Areas
• Derogatory Names

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Domestic Names Committee

• Policies
• Name Duplication
• Long Names
• Variant Names
• Indigenous American
• Note No More Diacritical Marks Policy

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Geographic Names Information System(GNIS)

• In 1987, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names
  designated the Geographic Names Information
  System as the Only Official Vehicle for
  Geographic Names to be used by the Federal
  government
• Therefore, Federal Law prescribes that GNIS be
  used as the only source for applying geographic
  names to Federal maps other products

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U.S. Board on Geographic Names

• No Federal Agency May CHANGE or ADD Unilaterally
  Any Name on Any Product For Any Reason Without
  BGN Approval by Policy or Procedure
• An Agency May Choose to Leave the Name Off a Map
  or Out of a Publication

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Administrative Names Not Under BGN Purview

• Such as see Endnotes of PPP, Chapter 2
• Airports
• Major and minor civil divisions
• Buildings
• Hospitals
• Post Offices
• Libraries
• Schools
• Churches
• Manmade Features Except Reservoirs and Canals

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Proposals Submitted to the BGN

• By Conventional Mail
• Domestic Geographic Name Report (DGNR)
• Available as PDF file at BGN website
• Letter
• Electronically
• Online DGNR via BGN website http//geonames.usgs.
  gov/utilities/dgnform.html

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BGN Website
http//geonames.usgs.gov/bgn.html

• Allows proposals to be submitted online
• Easier to forward electronically to State Boards,
  Federal agencies, etc.
• Less easy for proponent to include supporting
  documentation or maps (at this time improvement
  on the way).
• Approximately 4-5 applications per month

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The BGN receives an average of 200-300 new
proposals each year

• Each new case is acknowledged and placed in The
  Hopper for processing, in the order it was
  received.

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BGN Research is started

• Query GNIS for existing name?
• Check current and historical maps, placename
  books, the internet for existing name(s)?
• Compile history of proposed name(s).

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Follow up Questions Often Required?

• Commemorative Names
• Often need additional biographical information
• Birth death dates?
• Association with geographic feature?
• Notable contributions of intended honoree?
• Regional/national notoriety?
• If a family name, need to identify specific
  family member (deceased five years)

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Follow up Questions Often Required?

• Location of feature?
• Need better map/geographic coordinates
• Associated features, e.g. tributaries of main
  stream. Should they be included in the proposal?

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USGS Historical Map Library
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BGN Research

• Consult
• historical
• maps

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BGN RESEARCH
The Geographic Names Office has index cards for
many of the early BGN decisions
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BGN Research Previous Decisions
The Geographic Names Office has subject files
for most BGN decisions since 1890 Good source
of information for answering geographic names
inquiries
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Prepare a Case Brief

• Proposed Name
• Feature Description
• Location
• Topozone link
• Proponent Information
• Case Summary

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Place Case on Quarterly Docket
Each Docket Includes Approx. 50-75 new names
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Quarterly Docket Distributed to All Interested
Parties

• BGN Members
• State Names Authorities
• Federal Agencies
• Some Private Mapping Agencies
• Others
• Now Distributed Electronically.
• By Conventional Mail only by request

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Dockets Are Now Also Posted at the BGN
Website http//geonames.usgs.gov/quarterlydocket
.html
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Contacting Interested Parties

• County governments
• http//www.naco.org
• Town/City/Township/Borough governments
• State Names Authorities
• Tribal governments
• Federal Land Management Agencies
• Other Interested Parties

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Possible Other Contacts

• Local/State Historical Societies
• Genealogical Societies
• Special Interest Groups
• State Land Management Agencies
• State Governors
• Others ???

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The BGN is required to contact Tribes and Native
Groups

• As part of its standard review procedure for
  proposed names, the Board will consult with
  federally recognized tribes having an historic or
  cultural affiliation with the geographic location
  of the feature.

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Federal Land Management Agencies

• USDA Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• National Park Service
• Fish Wildlife Service
• Office of Coast Survey

Regional Offices
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Present-Day Indian Lands

• The Boards Policy IX (Names of Interest to
  Native Americans) from Executive Order 13175
  states we must contact Tribal Councils if the
  feature is wholly or partially on Tribal lands
• Nation-to-Nation relationship
• States cannot fulfill this obligation for us

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Historical Lands

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs, after consultation
  with its legal office, clarified the Boards
  Policy IX, and recommends that the Board make a
  good-faith effort to solicit input from any
  Tribal or Native Group having a current or
  historical interest (historical areas see map),
  plus 50 miles of the geographic feature.

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Historical Indian Lands Map
Shows lands judicially established by The U.S.
Indian Claims Commission, 1978 Tool we use for
determining historical Indian lands
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Use Tribal Leaders Directory

• Provides current Tribal addresses and phone
  numbers
• Available from the BIA [phone]
• Available online at
• http//www.narf.org/nill/research/biatld704.pdf

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Challenges

• Lack of response from local and Tribal
  governments
• - what should be an appropriate deadline for
  comment?
• Infrequency of State Board meetings
• (can business be conducted by telephone/e-mail?)
• Delay in receiving State Board minutes

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Docket Review List

• Once all interested parties have had an
  opportunity to comment, a summary of the proposal
  is placed on the Monthly Review List
• Approx. 10-15 name decisions per month

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Domestic Names Committee Meeting

• Second Thursday of Each Month
• (once a year, coincides with COGNA Conference)
• Meetings Held at Main Interior Building,
  Washington, D.C.

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(No Transcript)
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BGN Decisions Rendered

• New name/name change entered into GNIS within a
  week or two of the meeting
• Monthly Minutes Distributed to all interested
  parties
• Notification Letters Mailed to all interested
  parties
• Annual Decision List Prepared and Distributed
  (hiatus from 200 present)

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Where It All Happens!
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BGN Staff Contact Information

• Roger L. Payne
• [phone]
• rpayne_at_usgs.gov
• Lou Yost
• [phone]
• lyost_at_usgs.gov
• Jenny Runyon
• [phone]
• jrunyon_at_usgs.gov