Abstract

New Jersey's Updates to the Geographic Names Information System
Track: Water Resources
Authors: Craig Coutros

The Geographic Names Information System is the national repository for domestic named features. Some of the most widely-used national data sets including the US Topo Series use GNIS to place its name features accurately. After successfully conflating 1:24,000 scale hydrographic data to 1:2,400 for the National Hydrography Dataset update, NJ's State Stewards are now identifying and resolving conflicts between NHD named features and local data. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection along with the NJ Office of Information Technology is working with The U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update not only hydrographic features, but several other physical and cultural geographic feature classes identified in various statewide layers such as bays, populated places, hospitals, schools, churches, and cemeteries. This presentation will discuss the critical roles of these various data layers, how they are used to update national GIS data, and review the process of names submittal to the GNIS.