[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10232-10233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03748]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX22EF00COM0000]


Reconciliation of Derogatory Geographic Names

AGENCY: Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice with public comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is requesting public 
comment on candidate replacement names for geographic feature names 
recently declared derogatory by DOI Secretary's Order 3404.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 25, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket Number DOI-2022-
0001, by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: You may submit written 
comments online at http://www.regulations.gov by entering ``DOI-2022-
0001'' in the Search bar and clicking ``Search''.
     Mail: Reconciliation of Derogatory Geographic Names, MS-
511, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 
20192.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number. All comments received

[[Page 10233]]

will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal information provided. Please include the Feature ID (FID) 
of the feature(s) of interest when submitting your comment. The FID for 
each feature is located in Column B of the posted list.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this notice, please submit your question or request to 
[email protected], or contact Michael Tischler at 703-344-
4348. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, or dial 
711. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours which are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
for Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with DOI Secretary's Order 
3404 established under 43 U.S.C. 364-364f, a list of candidate 
geographic names to replace those declared derogatory by the 
Secretary's Order will be available for public comment in the Federal 
Register for a period of no less than 30 days. A list of five candidate 
names for each feature was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey as 
directed by the Secretary's Order. The candidate replacement names were 
derived through a search of nearby named geographic features until at 
least five nearby names were available. The candidate replacement name 
will replace the derogatory modifier. For example, ``Castle Creek'' is 
the nearest named feature to ``Squaw Mesa''. The first candidate 
replacement name for the derogatory named feature would be ``Castle 
Mesa''. Proposed additional candidate names will also be accepted 
during the public comment period.
    The Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force created by the 
Secretary's Order will consider all public comments on the list of 
proposed replacement names and any proposed additional candidate names 
in developing a single recommended replacement name for each feature. 
Several proposals to rename a feature covered by SO 3404 have been 
received by the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) through their 
conventional process and are not yet resolved. These proposed names are 
indicated in the list, will be provided to the Task Force, and will be 
prioritized ahead of the candidate names determined by proximity.
    Replacement names, to the extent possible, shall adhere to the 
Board on Geographic Names Principles, Policies, and Procedures for the 
Domestic Names Committee. BGN Policy V regarding Derogatory and 
Offensive Names now applies to the word `Squaw' as it is declared 
derogatory by the Secretary's Order. Replacement names proposed during 
the public comment period that are in clear violation of an existing 
policy will not be considered by the Task Force. The list of all 
replacement names recommended by the Task Force will be submitted to 
the BGN Domestic Names Committee for final adjudication.
    The list of candidate names under review by the Task Force is 
available at https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/so3404-candidate-names-list.
    Authority: The authority for this Order is established under 43 
U.S.C. 364-364f.

Michael Tischler,
Director, National Geospatial Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Chair, 
DOI Derogatory Names Task Force.
[FR Doc. 2022-03748 Filed 2-22-22; 8:45 am]
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