Domestic Names Committee (DNC) Proposal Process Flowchart

Overview of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names Domestic Names Committee (DNC) proposal review process.

Step 1: Intake (~2 weeks). When a proponent submits a proposal form, the DNC staff reviews it to make sure that it is complete; includes basic details about the proposed name and proponent; included justifications and supporting evidence; and meets the minimum requirements to be considered by the DNC. DNC members do not evaluate the justifications in this step. DNC staff never evaluate the justification in this step. DNC members and staff do not choose or recommend the form of the name a proponent submits.

Step 2: Quarterly Review List (QRL; every 3 months). DNC staff posts a Quarterly Review List close to the beginning of each calendar year quarter. The list includes case summaries of all proposals received that meet the requirements in Step 1 for consideration by the DNC.

Step 3: Outreach (60 days to 1+ years). Based on the process outlines in the DNC's Tribal Geographic Names Policy, staff notifies all federally recognized Tribes about the new Quarterly Review List and invited them to share any comments or recommendations about any proposal on the list the Tribe has an interest in. Then staff askes for recommendations from federal land managers, State names authorities or advisors, and local elected governments. These interested parties are asked to make recommendations based on the DNC's Principles, Policies, and Procedures as well as the interested party's own interests. Out reach must be completed before the DNC will vote on a proposal.

Step 4: Docket (Monthly). All cases ready for a DNC vote are included on a docket for review at a monthly DNC meeting. For each case, the docket includes the case summary, any information learned after the proposal was included on a Quarterly Review List, and the recommendations from each interested party. The agenda is posted on the DNC website at least five days before the monthly meeting. DNC staff does not provide recommendations or notify proponents that the agenda is being posted.

Step 5: DNC Vote (Monthly). At each monthly meeting, the DNC votes on each proposal based on the proposal's merits (the proponent's justifications and supporting evidence), recommendations from interested parties, and the DNC's Policies. The DNC members vote to approve or not approve a proposed name. DNC staff does not vote.

Step 6: Post DNC Vote (1-5 business days). DNC staff sends GNIS staff any decision details that need to be added or updated in GNIS. DNC staff shares the outcome of the vote with proponents, interested parties, and Department of the Interior leadership. Approved names are official for federal use when the DNC approves them; GNIS is updated soon after the vote. Non-Federal maps are NOT required to show approved names or name changes. Other Federal agencies, including USGS, update their data on their own schedule.