<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV>Last summer, while working on my books, I queried Lee Whittlesey about the current policy regarding hot spring names. As before, the process is involved. However, in following up (just today) I found the following:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The Website of the U. S. Board on Geographic Names is located at <A href="http://geonames.usgs.gov/bgn">http://geonames.usgs.gov/bgn</A>. As of November 23, 2004, that page included four links of interest:<BR>• A long (44 pages) PDF document titled “Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names” that presents considerable detail about the naming process. Within this are numerous links to other pages, including Appendix C. (I have saved a copy of this PDF.)<BR>• A PDF version of Appendix C, the “Domestic Geographic Name Report” that one uses to propose a new or revised name. It is available at <A href="http://geonames.usgs.gov/A-C.pdf">http://geonames.usgs.gov/A-C.pdf</A>. (I have saved a copy of this PDF, too.)<BR>• A series “Dockets...” that are sequentially numbered and dated lists of proposed names organized alphabetically by state. “Docket 387,” for  example, includes 71 names on 43 pages that were to be considered at the USBGN meeting of October 20, 2004.<BR>• The minutes of the meetings, giving the decisions that were made at that time. Unfortunately, the most recent of these was dated February 2004.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Transactions IX will include a 3-page document by Whittlesey and Henry Heasler (well, at least Hank's name is on it, although back in August he seemed to be unaware of it) that lays all this out from the NPS end of things. But the above will provide you with lots of information (too much, perhaps) and maybe give you some reading during this "off season."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Note to Lee: there's no "www" in the Web addresses -- using it gave me a "page not found" error. And that list of "names within quotes" will be off to you soon. It will be as a Word attachment.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">T. Scott Bryan<BR>72-779 Fleetwood Circle<BR>Palm Desert, CA 92260-9389<BR><BR>(760) 346-3998</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>