How are complete proposals submitted and generally
reviewed?
The board on geographic names is responsible for establishing
official Washington state geographic names. A geographic name becomes official
after the board approves a recommendation made by the committee on geographic
names. The committee on geographic names considers name proposals that are
submitted to it rather than acting on its own motion.
(1) Timing and form of geographic name
proposals:
(a) Proponents may submit
geographic name proposals to the committee on geographic names at any time
throughout the year. The committee has two regularly scheduled committee
meetings each year. To be considered at an upcoming regular committee meeting,
the proposal must be received at least thirty days prior to that
meeting.
(b) Proposals should be
submitted on the Committee on Geographic Names' Proposal Form and be
electronically submitted to bogn@dnr.wa.gov or mailed to:
Washington State Committee on Geographic Names
P.O. Box 47030
Olympia, WA 98504
(c) Proposals should be consistent with the
form and substance expressed in this chapter and may be returned or ultimately
denied for being inconsistent. The committee may accept for consideration
proposals on a United States Board of Geographic Names Form when the proposal
is forwarded by the U.S. board.
(2) Adequacy of proposal information: The
burden to gather and submit information regarding a proposal is on the
proponent. Proponents are encouraged to contact the landowner or agency that
the geographic feature is located on.
(a) The
committee may, in its discretion, request proponents to submit more information
and defer further committee action pending receipt.
(b) The committee and staff may, at their
discretion, independently pursue information related to any proposal.
(3) Committee denial or
recommendation to approve: The committee may deny a proposal at any meeting, or
recommend its approval after the proposal has been considered at two or more
meetings and the committee has conducted careful deliberation of all available
information. The factors to be considered by the committee are described
elsewhere in this chapter, especially WAC
332-160-040 and
332-160-050. If the
committee decides to recommend approval to the board, all proposal materials
and the committee's recommendation to approve will be forwarded onto the
Washington state board on geographic names.
(4) Board on geographic names review and
decision: The board of natural resources will indicate (agenda/other notice)
when it will consider geographic name proposals in its capacity as the board on
geographic names. The board will consider the information forwarded by the
committee on geographic names and may entertain additional statements on
specific proposals consistent with the board of natural resources business
rules. After deliberation on a proposal, the board on geographic names may
approve a proposal or refer a proposal back to the committee on geographic
names for further consideration. Upon referring a proposal back to the
committee, the board may include instructions for the committee to seek
additional information or to reconsider its recommendation to approve in light
of other information/issues/ proposals. The board on geographic names' approval
of a proposal is final and is not subject to administrative review. Proposals
to name a geographic feature that has been named by the board on geographic
names will only be considered by either the committee or the board under the
circumstances described in WAC ***.
