NatMap Briefing with Speakers Notes

1
USGS Geographic Names Introduction

Native Names Training Indigenous mapping network
gathering 19 Aug 2007
Scott Van Hoff USGS Geospatial Liaison U.S.
Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior
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Agenda

• Why Names Standardization
• Role of U.S. Board on Geographic Names
• Overview Geographic Names Information System

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Need for Names Standardization

• Before
• 19th Centurynumerous scientific and exploration
  expeditions recorded conflicting geographic
  feature names, resulting in significant confusion
  and difficulty
• Today
• Geographic names are a key component of the
  National Spatial Data Infrastructure
• And a base layer of The National Map
• Always
• Consistency is a key attribute of base geographic
  information

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U.S. Board on Geographic Names

• 4 September 1890 Established byPresidential
  Executive Order
• 25 July 1947 Re-established by Public Law
  80-242

Representatives of Federal agencies concerned
with geographic information, population, ecology,
and management of public lands.

http//geonames.usgs.gov/
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U.S. Board on Geographic Names

• Ensures uniformity in geographic nomenclature and
  orthography throughout the Federal government
• Formulates principles, policies, and
  proceduresfor domestic feature names
  standardization.
• Serves as Federal authority to which name
  problems, name inquiries, name changes, and new
  name proposals are directed
• Promulgates Decisions with respect to geographic
  names and locations
• Publishes official feature names and locations

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Policies

• U.S. Government policy
• Only official (Board approved) geographic names
  and locations shall be used in Federal products
• Board policies
• Geographic Names Information System is the only
  official Federal vehicle, i.e., gazetteer source,
  for domestic geographic names and locations
• Names and locations of most features are
  determined by the authoritative source, not
  subject to formal Board review and decision
• Exceptions natural features, canals, reservoirs.
  
• Subject to principles, policies, and procedures

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Standardization not Regulation
Why Standardize Geographic Names and Locations?

• National Security
• Emergency Preparedness Response
• Regional Local Planning
• Site Selection Analysis
• Cartographic Application
• Environmental Problem-solving
• Tourism
• All Levels of Communication

The implications of incorrect, inaccurate, or
contradictory feature data appearing
simultaneously in multiple Internet applications
are serious and potentially catastrophic.
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Geographic Names Information System

• Official Federal source for feature names and
  locations
• Authoritative A16 database for geographic names
• Conforms to BGN principles, policies, guidelines
• 30 Years of Data from authoritative sources
• Stable, mature geographic information system
• Full national coverage, consistent, seamless
• Quality assured, prevents duplication
• Feature based All named features
• Except roads Highways
• Open, interoperable, available, web services
• Functioning partner base Federal, State, Local,
  Tribal
• Large user community of long standing

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GNIS Names are us..
Orthorectified imagery
Elevation
Transportation Hydrography Structures Boundaries
Geographic names
Land cover
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Names A Key Component of Geographic Knowledge
Webster Groves, MO-IL 7.5-minute topographic map
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Two Million FeaturesAnd Growing

• 502,000 hydrographic features Synchronized with
  NHD
• 395,000 cultural features Mostly structures
• Cemetery, Dam, Locale, Mine, Military
  (historical), Oilfield, Tower, Trail, Well
• 376,000 structural features
• Airport, Building, Church, Hospital, School, Post
  Office
• 257,000 landforms In no other layer of The
  National Map
• (Other than hydrographic features in NHD)
• 170,000 populated places
• 100,000 admin features
• Civil, Forest, Park, Reserve
• 97,000 historical features In no other layer
• 14,000 transportation point features
• Bridge, Crossing, Tunnel
• (14,000 Antarctica features)
• Thousands added per month. If its not in GNIS, it
  should be.

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GNIS Supports (among others)

• Geospatial One-Stop Geographic Names Community
• The National Map Names layers Find Place
  Query
• The National Atlas GNIS Provides names data
• National Hydrography Dataset Uses only GNIS
  Names
• National Elevation Dataset Query elevation in
  GNIS
• USGS Seamless Database Includes Names layers
• FGDC GNIS supports standards development

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GNIS Attributes As Standards

• Draft ANSI Standard in development
• Feature ID, Official Feature Name, Official
  Feature Location
• In DHS Geospatial Data Model
• Top level optional attributes (next version
  sprint 2007)
• Referenced In draft FGDC Address Standard
• GNIS Feature ID superseded FIPS55 Place Code
• Draft MOU with Census to manage the transition
• Coordinating with other agencies and
  organizations
• National Gazetteer Project (Sandia Labs/Patton
  Alliance)
• GNIS the Authoritative source for domestic names
  and locations
• MOU with GSA/OPM to maintain Federal agency
  geolocation codes with relationship to Feature ID

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GOS Geographic Names Community
http//gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos
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GNIS in The National Map
http//nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm
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GNIS Web Site
http//geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/
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GNIS Features
A feature is an entity on the landscape with

• Feature ID
• Name
• Location
• Feature Class
• Other Attributes

Minimum Identifying Attributes
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GNIS Feature ID

• Single, unique, permanent, national record
  identifier
• System assigned numberno information content
• Add to local data sets for reference data
  maintenance
• Immediately assigned upon web data entry
• For comparing, reconciling, merging data sets
• Eliminates need for difficult attribute matching
  from multiple, overlapping, contradictory
  sources
• Assures national feature record uniqueness
• Available to all levels of government and the
  public

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GNIS Official Name

• As specified by data owner/authoritative source
• In all but a few cases, mostly natural features
• Sources authorized and verified
• Federal, State, local agencies, contractors
• Data validated QAd
• Within standards of the Board on Geographic Names
• Names complete, standard, nationally consistent
• Regardless of source or mechanism of access
  display
• Available to all levels of Government the public

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GNIS Official Feature Location

• As specified by data owner/authoritative source
• Within Board guidelines
• Single representative point The primary point
• Official point to which official name is attached
• Identifies locates features. Ensures
  uniqueness.
• Independent of size, extent, other spatial
  representations
• Easily added, corrected, or modified
• Boundaries not reliable as official feature
  location
• Multiple versions, varying resolutions, differing
  precision
• Many features have no definable, official,
  recognized, or agreed upon boundaries

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Feature Class Defined Functionally
AIRPORT CAVE GEYSER MINE SCHOOL
ARCH CEMETERY GLACIER OILFIELD SEA
AREA CENSUS GUT PARK SLOPE
ARROYO CHANNEL HARBOR PILLAR SPRING
BAR CHURCH HOSPITAL PLAIN STREAM
BASIN CIVIL ISLAND POST OFFICE SUMMIT
BAY CLIFF ISTHMUS POPULATED PLACE SWAMP
BEACH CRATER LAKE POPULATED PLACE TOWER
BENCH CROSSING LAVA RANGE TRAIL
BEND DAM LEVEE RAPIDS TUNNEL
BRIDGE FALLS LOCALE RESERVE VALLEY
BUILDING FLAT MILITARY RESERVOIR WELL
CANAL FOREST MILITARY (HISTORICAL) RIDGE WOODS
CAPE GAP MILITARY (HISTORICAL)
No Official Feature Classification Schemas
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Contacts

• Louis YostActing, Executive SecretaryU.S. Board
  on Geographic Names
• [phone]
• lyost_at_usgs.gov
• Jennifer RunyonBoard on Geographic Names Senior
  Researcher
• [phone]
• jrunyon_at_usgs.gov

• Joan HelmrichNames Coordinator
• [phone]
• jhelmrich_at_usgs.gov
• Dwight HughesSr. Software Engineer
• [phone]
• dshughes_at_usgs.gov

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The End

• Thank you for your interest!
• Questions?

Scott Van Hoff USGS Geospatial Liaison svanhoff_at_us
gs.gov 208-387-1351