Federal Names Policy

The 5-year waiting period is from the Principles, Policies, and Procedures of the United States Board on Geographic Names.  Here is the pertinent section of the federal policy which is (supposedly) followed by the state board:

Policy III.  Commemorative Names

sec. 1

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will consider proposals for assignment of the names or nicknames of deceased persons to geographic features in the United States and areas under the jurisdiction of the United States. The Board will not consider names that commemorate or may be construed to commemorate living persons. In addition, a person must be deceased at least 5 years before a commemorative proposal will be considered.

sec. 2

The person being honored by the naming should have had either some direct and long-term association with the feature or have made a significant contribution to the area or State in which it is located.

sec. 3

A proposal commemorating an individual with an outstanding national or international reputation will be considered even if the person was not directly associated with the geographic feature.

sec. 4

All commemorative name proposals must meet the same basic criteria required of any other name proposal.

The entire text of the federal policy can be viewed at http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html

Return to Squaw Peak Name Change Page

Return to Squaw Peak Home Page