U.S. Board on Geographic Names—Established by the Act of July 25, 1947 (61 Stat. 456; 43 U.S.C. 364), the Board provides uniformity in geographic nomenclature and orthography throughout the federal government. The Board membership is comprised of an interdepartmental group appointed by the Departments of State, Army, Navy, Post Office (Postal Service), Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Air Force, and Defense; and the Central Intelligence Agency, Government Printing Office, and Library of Congress. Subject to approval of the Secretary of the Interior, the Board formulates principles, policies, and procedures with reference to domestic and foreign geographic names and establishes standard names and their orthography. One group within the Board is concerned with names in foreign countries; the other is responsible for the review of names and their conciliation whenever a controversy arises over the name of a place, mountain, stream, lake, reservoir, and other features on the earth which might be confused by use of local names, historical names, or writings relating to a place or area within the United States.

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Source: NSPS “Definitions of Surveying and Related Terms“, used with permission.

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