Memorandum
Date: February 4, 2025
To: The Honorable E.J. Crandell, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Jessica Pyska, District 5 Supervisor
Subject: Consideration of Letters to (a) the United States Board on Geographic Names' (BGN's) Domestic Names Committee and (b) the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names (CACGN) recommending changes to BGN's Principles, Policies, and Practices, in light of the January 20, 2025, Presidential Executive Order, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness"
Executive Summary:
On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order, "Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness." Section 2(c) of the Executive Order expressly permits the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to update its Principles, Policies, and Procedures with respect to all applications proposing a name change within BGN's authority. This Executive Order signals a clear change in the priorities of past administrations, with all naming and renaming applications to be reviewed by a newly constituted and expanded BGN to advance the new policies. In light of the direction to return Mt. Denali to Mt. McKinley, it appears very likely that the name of Kelseyville will remain.
Given the potential for updates, the County of Lake has the opportunity to submit feedback on the current process based on our experiences of the past year. The current Principles, Policies, and Practices of the BGN and Domestic Names Committee are vague and inconsistent. Most importantly, they do not consider the unique nature of renaming "Populated Places," or towns, where people live, work, and own businesses. Special consideration must be given to renaming a populated area (rather than a monument), particularly with expanded robust policies to encourage public engagement, transparency around the process, public comment, decision-making criteria, and the ability for the community to have input on alternate names.
Over the past yea...
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