Dwight Hughes Geographic Names Project U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior

1. Minimum Geographic Feature Identifying Attributes ANSI Standard Proposal Homeland Security Working GroupSeptember 21, 2006 Dwight Hughes Geographic Names Project U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior

2. Standards Timeline Translating existing federally developed standards into a national, public, consensus based standard • 1890: U.S. Board on Geographic Names Established http://geonames.usgs.gov • To standardize geographic feature names and locations for Federal use • 1947: Board reauthorized in public law 80-242 • 1975: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) established • 1987: GNIS designated as official Federal source of names & locations • 08 Feb 05: NIST withdraws FIPS 55 as Federal standard • 01 Jan 06: GNIS Feature ID supersedes FIPS55 Place Code • 13 Jul 06: Draft proposal reviewed by INCITS L1 • 12 Oct 06: Final proposal & draft presented • Oct 06—Mar 07: Review • Mar 07: Ballot?

3. Proposed Standard Supersedes • ANSI X3.47:1988 [R2004], Structure for the Identification of Named Populated Places, Primary county Divisions and other Entities of the U.S. and Its Outlying Areas for Information Interchange • FIPS PUB 55-DC3:1994, Codes for Named Populated Places, Primary County Divisions, and Other Locational Entities of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Outlying Areas

4. Concepts And Terms Concept and terms relating to geographic feature names and locations are defined within the Principles, Policies, and Procedures for Domestic Geographic Feature Namesof the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (http://geonames.usgs.gov/docs/pro_pol_pro.pdf)

5. Applies to • Named natural and cultural features of all types • Except roads and highways • Brand name commercial facilities generally not includedunless they have landmark utility or historical meaning • Named populated places • Counties and equivalent legal, statistical entities • Primary county divisions • American Indian, Alaska Native areas • All kinds of named infrastructure facilities As specified by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names and U.S. Bureau of the Census in coordination with Federal, State, county, and local agencies responsible for land and real property management.

6. Two Million – And 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.

7. Minimum Identifying Attributes A Feature is An entity on the landscape/seascape that requires identification, location, and attribution for the information purposes of government and public • Feature ID • Name • Location • Feature Class • Geometry? • Other Attributes

8. Feature ID is Permanent & Unique Attribute assigned to a geographic feature for the sole purpose of uniquely identifying that feature as a record in any information system database, dataset, file, or document and for distinguishing it from all other feature records • Number assigned sequentially to new records • Highest existing number plus 1 • Carries no information or association to record content • Not a code but doesn’t restrict the use of codes • Not subject to change as attribute values change • Never withdrawn and never reassigned

9. Why a Feature ID? To correlate geographic feature data across multitudes of related, overlapping, and potentially contradictory datasets, served by multiple, interlocking, and interdependent applications at all levels of government and the private sector.

10. Official Name Written form of the name and its application to the appropriate place, feature, or area approved by the Board or by the appropriate administrative agency. • Specified by authoritative data owner • One and only one official name. Multiple variant names. • Within guidelines of the Board on Geographic Names • Names complete, standard, nationally consistent • Regardless of source or mechanism of access & display

11. Official Feature Location • Single point at 1:24,000 scale – The primary point • Official point to which official name is attached • Normally near center/centroid with exceptions • Independent of size, extent, spatial representations • Vital for correctly identifying & locating features • Specified by authoritative data owner • Within guidelines of the Board on Geographic Names • Boundaries not reliable as official feature location • Multiple versions, varying resolutions, differing precision • Many features have no definable, official, recognized, or agreed upon boundaries

12. Standardization not Regulation Why StandardizeGeographic Names and locations? • National Security • Emergency Preparedness & Response • Regional & Local Planning • Site Selection & Analysis • Cartographic Application • Environmental Problem-solving • Tourism • All Levels of Communication

15. GNIS as a standard • Proposed ANSI Standard • Minimum Feature Identifying Attributes:Feature ID, Feature Name, Feature Point Location • Referenced in draft FGDC Address Standard • Feature ID, Feature Name, Feature Point Location • Feature ID superseded FIPS55 Place Code • Draft MOU with Census to manage the transition • Assisting DoD in transition for real property ID codes • Coordinating with other agencies and organizations • MOU with GSA/OPM to maintain Federal agency geolocation codes with relationship to Feature ID

16. Scope • The 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico • Outlying areas (American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, Minor Outlying Islands) • Freely associated areas (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau) • Antarctica data maintained by the USGS.

17. Official Name • Specified by authoritative data owner • In all but a few cases, mostly natural features • Within guidelines of the Board on Geographic Names • All sources authorized and verified • Mostly Federal, State, local agencies • All data validated & QA’d • Names complete, standard, nationally consistent • Regardless of source or mechanism of access & display • Available to all levels of Government & the public

18. Need for Names Standardization • In the 1800’s – numerous Federal scientific and exploration expeditions • Many agencies recorded different names, resulting in confusion • Geographic names is a key component of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure • And a base layer of The National Map • Consistency is a key attribute of base geographic information

19. 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 80-242 Representatives of Federal agencies concerned with geographic information, population, ecology, and management of public lands.

20. U.S. Board on Geographic Names • Provides uniformity in geographic nomenclature and orthography throughout the Federal government • Formulates principles, policies, and proceduresfor domestic and foreign geographic names • Promulgates in the name of the Board: • Decisions with respect to geographic names and locations • Principles of geographic nomenclature and orthography • Geographic feature data and names (GNIS)

21. U.S. Board on Geographic Names • No Federal agency may change or add unilaterally a feature name on any product without Board approval • For most features, approval authority is delegated to the owning agency by policy • Subject to principles, policies, and procedures • Exceptions are natural features, canals, reservoirs.

22. Geographic Names Information System • 1987 – U.S. Board on Geographic Names designated the GNIS as the only official vehicle for domestic geographic names used by the Federal government Therefore: • The GNIS is the only official source for applying geographic names to Federal maps and other products depicting areas under U.S. jurisdiction

23. GNIS Revolution – Past Two Years • Completely redesigned database • All Web user interfaces • Public Query – links to The National Map, TopoZone, TerraServer, GoogleMap, Tiger • Partner data entry/edit – Fully automated • Full service geodatabase • Web map/feature service • XML service • File download. Customized on request • Web extract Shape file (soon)

24. Why GNIS? • Conforms to BGN principles, policies, guidelines • 30 Years of Data from authoritative stake holders • Stable, mature geographic information system • Full national coverage, consistent, seamless • Quality assured, prevents duplication • Feature based • Open, interoperable, available, web services • Functioning partner base – Federal, State, Local • Large user community of long standing If your features are in GNIS, they are official

25. GNIS Supports: • 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 • Seamless – Includes Names layers • FGDC – GNIS supports standards development

26. GOS Geographic Names Community

27. GNIS in The National Map http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm

28. GNIS Web Site http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/

29. Feature Class – Defined Functionally No Official Feature Classification Schemas

30. Names Problems

31. Validation Rules – Hundreds of them Case, special characters, abbreviations, generics, parentheses Examples: • comma to comma+space • # to Number+space • & to space+and+space • @ to space+at+space • - to space+-+space • slash to space+hyphen+space • space+space to space • All upper case to title case • ‘Ste.’ To ‘Sainte’ • ‘Mt.’ to ‘Mount’ • ‘Mtn’ to ‘Mountain’ • comma to comma+space • ‘Dr.’, ‘Dr ‘ = ‘Drive’ or ‘Doctor’? • ‘W ‘, ‘W.’ = Initial or ‘West”? • ‘No.’, ‘No ‘= ‘North’ or ‘Number’ • No apostrophe in natural features • ‘U. S.’ to "United States" • ‘NE ‘ Northeast+space • ‘Name, The’ to ‘The Name’ • Search for ‘(‘ ‘)‘, remove/correct • ‘Cty.’to ‘County’ • Rd.’, Rd to ‘Road’

32. CAMDEN CO-SR110 MSWL East DeKalb Campus (school?) Johnson Magnet LIBERTY CO-LIMERICK RD (L) Tabernacle Baptist (a school) Hiawassee WPCP Monticello Pearson Creek Pond (waste water treatment plant) Alcovy Shores (a water system) Saint Peter Claver Shurling Branch (library) Ochlocknee PD Spence Field (airport) Shepard Center, Inc. (hospital) Marlow (elementary school) Charter Lake Hospital(a private school) Macon-Bibb Station 8(Fire Station) BJC Medical Center(name or acronym?) Can You Identify These Features? How important is it to avoid name confusion?

33. TNM Feature Any other App Look up National Map Any other GIS File Download Custom Files Full Service – Data Out GNIS Web Site GNIS MapService GNIS XMLService FeatureService GNIS

34. GNIS Public Web Query http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/

35. GNIS Map Service http://geonamesmap.er.usgs.gov/OGCConnector/servlet/OGCConnector?ServiceName=us_gnis&request=getMap&

36. GNIS Feature Service – Example <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> - <ARCXML version="1.1"> - <RESPONSE> <QUERYLAYER name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES" /> - <FEATURES> - <FEATURE> - <FIELDS> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.FEATURE_ID" value="1698036" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.FEATURE_NAME" value="Spring House Estates" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.FEATURE_CLASS" value="Populated Place" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.LATITUDE" value="39.693994" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.LONGITUDE" value="-76.3216253" /> <FIELD name="#SHAPE#" value="[Geometry]" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.STATE_ALPHA" value="MD" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.COUNTY_NAME" value="Harford" /> <FIELD name="LAYERS.COMMUNITIES_V.SDEID" value="58525" /> http://ergmap.er.usgs.gov/OGCConnector/servlet/OGCConnector/com.esri.wms.Esrimap/us_gnis?request=getfeatureinfo&bbox=-77,39,-76,40&width=10&height=10&Layers=LAYERS.COMMUNITIES&EXCEPTIONS%20=%20SE_XML&x=5&y=5&FEATURE_COUNT=10

37. GNIS Shape File Extract Service • Coming • Use The National Map Download

38. GNIS XML Service – Example • All streams in Virginia -<USGSLIST> - <USGS> <FEATURE_ID_NMBR>485728</FEATURE_ID_NMBR> <FEATURE_NAME>Abes Fork</FEATURE_NAME> <STATE_EQUIVALENT_NAME>Kentucky</STATE_EQUIVALENT_NAME> <CNTY_NAME>Pike</CNTY_NAME> <FEATURE_TYPE>stream</FEATURE_TYPE> <FEAT_LATITUDE_NMBR>37.31472</FEAT_LATITUDE_NMBR> <FEAT_LONGITUDE_NMBR>-82.28667</FEAT_LONGITUDE_NMBR> <FEAT_LATITUDE_CHAR>371853N</FEAT_LATITUDE_CHAR> <FEAT_LONGITUDE_CHAR>0821712W</FEAT_LONGITUDE_CHAR> <CELL_NAME>Elkhorn City</CELL_NAME> <ELEVATION /> </USGS> - http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/x?fname=&state='Virginia'&cnty=&cell=&ftype='stream'

39. GNIS Download .txt files Note: Will be adding download for XML and Shape files http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm

40. Batch Partner Partner Files TransactionEntry/Edit Data Maintenance Full Service – Data In Web Services &Applications Working Synchronizedby Feature ID GNIS Partner Data

41. Find Place Partner GNIS Web Site Names Layers National Map Full Service – In & Out in Minutes Enter, Edit Data Names Office Other apps using services Validate,Commit Data Seamless (weekly extract) National Atlas, NHD, &Antarctic GNIS

42. GNIS Maintenance Forms http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/htmldb/f?p=GNIS User ID & Password: UserNN!! Where NN = 01 through 15

43. Data In – Batch Processes • Receive Any standard format • .txt, .xls, .xml, shape, etc. • Or pull down from data owner web service • Compare with existing data in the GNIS • Reconcile Data • Revise, correct as needed • Enter new records • Generate Feature IDs for new records • Return new Feature IDs to data owner

44. Electronic Maintenance Program Since 1987 • U.S. Board on Geographic Names • U.S. Geological Survey • U.S. Forest Service (1997) • Office of Coast Survey (1997) • National Hydrography Data Set (NHD) Partners • Synchronized 1997 • National Park Service (1999) • Bureau of Land Management (2005) • Fish & Wildlife Service (soon) • General Services Agency (MOU in for signature)

45. State Partners • North Carolina – GNIS only official source • Delaware – GNIS only official source • Florida – State Gazetteer based on GNIS • West Virginia • Oregon – working • Hawaii – discussions • Nevada – startup • Missouri – preliminary discussions • New York – discussions • Others – preliminary contact

46. Worked for the Topos For over a century, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names assured consistency and accuracy of geographic names on USGS Topographic Maps, the only national system of maps. This was a mission critical to national development. For thirty years, the Geographic Names Information System has been the primary mechanism for accomplishing this purpose. Can we do less in the age of the Internet, GIS, and The National Map?

47. Contacts • Louis Yost • (703) 648-4552 • lyost@usgs.gov • Robin Worcester • (703) 648-4551 • rworcest@usgs.gov • Jennifer Runyon • (703) 648-4550 • jrunyon@usgs.gov • Eve Edwards • (703) 648-4548 • eedwards@usgs.gov • Dwight Hughes • (703) 648-5793 • dshughes@usgs.gov

48. The End Thank you for your interest! Questions?