Metadata for Montana Geographic Names Framework Metadata for Montana Geographic Names Framework
Identification Information:
Citation:
Originator: Montana State Library
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Originator: U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Publication date: 11/04/2016
Title: Montana Geographic Names Framework
Publication place: Helena, MT
Publisher: Montana State Library
Online linkage: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/MSDI/GeographicNames/

Abstract:
The Montana Geographic Names Framework (MGNF) holds names and locations for cultural and geographic featues in Montana. For most features, this is the Federally recognized name from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This is intended to include the names of all features, current and historical, that are shown on maps, except for roads and highways.

The GNIS is the Federal standard for geographic nomenclature. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the GNIS for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a Federal inter-agency body chartered by public law to maintain uniform feature name usage throughout the Government and to promulgate standard names to the public. The GNIS is the official repository of domestic geographic names data; the official vehicle for geographic names use by all departments of the Federal Government; and the source for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products of all types.

The files available from the State Library include an ESRI feature class with the primary point and State-recognized official name of each feature. The distribution includes two additional tables. One contains the official names and additional alternate names for the features. The other has descriptions and historical information for certain features which the Board on Geographic Names or State Library staff have worked with.

The MGNF was developed from the Montana GNIS text file, the national all_names file, and the national feature description file dated October 1, 2016 that were available on the USGS web site at http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm. The State Library has performed extensive edits to the data, which are described in the Supplemental Information section of this metadata document.
Supplemental information:
Each feature is represented in the Montana Geographic Names Framework (MGNF) feature class by its "primary point". A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of the original place, if known, such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir may be the center of the dam that impounds it. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. These points do not represent feature boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them.

The GNIS contains over 20,000 un-named wells, mines, and springs that have been deleted from the MGNF.

The GNIS contains many features that are partially in Montana, but whose primary coordinates are outside of the state. In the MGNF, the coordinates have been moved to the nearest appropriate location on the state boundary.

Before 2005, features in the GNIS were assigned elevations if the GNIS staff noted an elevation printed on a topographic map. The current GNIS from USGS has an elevation for every feature, estimated from the National Elevation Dataset. In the MGNF, the estimated elevations have been replaced by the old map-based GNIS elevations where they were available. Additionally, many elevations, especially of mountain peaks, have been replaced by the elevations printed on 1:24,000 scale topographic maps.

The MGNF has many corrections in the names, feature classes, and locations of features that have been noted at the State Library. The MGNF features contain a value in the Change_Log field that indicate what sorts of edits have been performed on them.

The State Library and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) cooperated in 2012 to synchronize the GNIS with FWP's property database, which includes state parks, wildlife management areas, and fishing access sites. Scores of FWP properties which were not in the GNIS have been added to this data set, and the GNIS_ID field has been arbitrarily assigned values less than zero.

Time period of content:
Calendar date: 2016
Currentness reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: In work
Maintenance and update frequency: As needed
Access constraints: None
Use constraints:
While this data set is useful for locating features, it is not intended to locate what features are near a location or within a given area. Large features such as streams and national forests are represented here by a single point, and the absence from the Montana Geographic Names Framework of a point for a feature in any area does not mean the feature is not in that area.

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.
Point of contact:
Montana State Library
P.O. Box 201800
Helena, Montana 59620-1800


Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov


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Data Quality Information:
Lineage:
Source information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication date: 10/01/2016
Title: Geographic Names Information System
Publication place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Online linkage: http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm
Source contribution: The data set is an edited version of this source.
Source information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication date: 1998
Title: 1:24,000 Scale Topographic Map Images
Publication place: Helena, MT
Publisher: Montana State Library
Online linkage: http://mslapps.mt.gov/Geographic_Information/Data/Topographic
Source contribution:
This is a source used by the State Library to edit elevations and locations of features.
Beginning date: 1950
Ending date: 1998
Source information:
Originator:
National Agricultural Imagery Program, US Dept of Agriculture
Publication date: 2013
Title: Montana 2013 Air Photos
Online linkage: http://mslapps.mt.gov/Geographic_Information/Data/Aerial_Photos/naip_2013_default.aspx
Source contribution:
This is a source used by the State Library to determine locations of features.
Calendar date: 2013

Process step:
Download the GNIS text files from the U.S. Geological Survey. Load the data into a database and execute procedures to compare the data to the previous version of the GNIS that the Montana Geographic Names Framework is based on.
Process date: 10/17/2016
Process step:
Examine the changes USGS made to the GNIS since the last update and apply them to the Montana Geogrphic Names Framework as necessary.
Process date: 11/02/2016
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Spatial Data Organization Information:
Point and vector object information:
SDTS object type: Point
SDTS object count: 52171
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Spatial Reference Information:
Horizontal coordinate system definition:
Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System
SPCS zone identifier: 2500
Lambert conformal conic:
Standard parallel: 45.0
Standard parallel: 49.0
Longitude of central meridian: -109.5
Latitude of projection origin: 44.25
False easting: 600000.0
False northing: 0.0
Planar distance units: meters
Geodetic model:
Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222
Altitude system definition:
Altitude datum name: Unknown
Altitude resolution: 1
Altitude distance units: FEET
Altitude encoding method: Attribute values
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Entity and Attribute Information:
Entity type label: MT_Names
Entity type definition: These are the attributes of the points in the feature class.

Attribute label: OBJECTID
Attribute definition: Database sequence number

Attribute label: Shape
Attribute definition: Feature geometry

Attribute label: GNIS_ID
Attribute definition:
This is the unique Feature_ID assigned to the feature by the GNIS.

This number is assigned by the Geographic Names Information System and used as a relational key for uniquely identifying, indexing, and searching geographic features and for integrating or reconciling GNIS data with other data sets. The number has no information content. The GNIS Feature ID supersedes the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 55 Place Code as the Federal standard unique feature identifier and is under consideration as an ANSI standard.

Features with negative ID numbers have been added to the database by the State Library and are not in the national GNIS.

Attribute label: Name
Attribute definition:
Official Feature Name. If a feature has a 1 in the ten thousands column of the Change_Log field, the name was edited by the State Library.

Attribute label: Class
Attribute definition:
The GNIS has 66 types that a feature may be classified as. 58 of these classes occur in this file for Montana. If a feature has a 1 in the hundreds column of the Change_Log field, the feature has been reclassified at the State Library.


Attribute
Value 		Definition of
Attribute Value
Airport manmade facility maintained for the use of aircraft (airfield, airstrip, landing field, landing strip)
Arch natural arch-like opening in a rock mass (bridge, natural bridge, sea arch)
Area any one of several areally extensive natural features not included in other categories (badlands, barren, delta, fan, garden)
Arroyo watercourse or channel through which water may occasionally flow (coulee, draw, gully, wash)
Bar natural accumulation of sand, gravel, or alluvium forming an underwater or exposed embankment (ledge, reef, sandbar, shoal, spit)
Basin natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land (amphitheater, cirque, pit, sink)
Bay indentation of a coastline or shoreline enclosing a part of a body of water; a body of water partly surrounded by land (arm, bight, cove, estuary, gulf, inlet, sound)
Beach the sloping shore along a body of water that is washed by waves or tides and is usually covered by sand or gravel (coast, shore, strand)
Bench area of relatively level land on the flank of an elevation such as a hill, ridge, or mountain where the slope of the land rises on one side and descends on the opposite side
Bend curve in the course of a stream and (or) the land within the curve; a curve in a linear body of water (bottom, loop, meander)
Bridge manmade structure carrying a trail, road, or other transportation system across a body of water or depression (causeway, overpass, trestle)
Building a manmade structure with walls and a roof for protection of people and (or) materials, but not including church, hospital, or school
Canal manmade waterway used by watercraft or for drainage, irrigation, mining, or water power (ditch, lateral)
Cape projection of land extending into a body of water (lea, neck, peninsula, point)
Cemetery a place or area for burying the dead (burial, burying ground, grave, memorial garden)
Census A statistical area delineated locally specifically for the tabulation of Census Bureau data (census designated place, census county division, unorganized territory, various types of American Indian/Alaska Native statistical areas). Distinct from Civil and Populated Place.
Channel linear deep part of a body of water through which the main volume of water flows and is frequently used as aroute for watercraft (passage, reach, strait, thoroughfare, throughfare)
Church building used for religious worship (chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple)
Civil political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, municipio, parish, town, township)
Cliff very steep or vertical slope (bluff, crag, head, headland, nose, palisades, precipice, promontory, rim, rimrock)
Crater circular-shaped depression at the summit of a volcanic cone or one on the surface of the land caused by the impact of a meteorite; a manmade depression caused by an explosion (caldera, lua)
Crossing a place where two or more routes of transportation form a junction or intersection (overpass, underpass)
Dam water barrier or embankment built across the course of a stream or into a body of water to control and (or) impound the flow of water (breakwater, dike, jetty)
Falls perpendicular or very steep fall of water in the course of a stream (cascade, cataract, waterfall)
Flat relative level area within a region of greater relief (clearing, glade, playa)
Forest bounded area of woods, forest, or grassland under the administration of a political agency (see "woods") (national forest, national grasslands, State forest)
Gap low point or opening between hills or mountains or in a ridge or mountain range (col, notch, pass, saddle, water gap, wind gap)
Glacier body or stream of ice moving outward and downslope from an area of accumulation; an area of relatively permanent snow or ice on the top or side of a mountain or mountainous area (icefield, ice patch, snow patch)
Gut relatively small coastal waterway connecting larger bodies of water or other waterways (creek, inlet, slough)
Harbor sheltered area of water where ships or other watercraft can anchor or dock (hono, port, roads, roadstead)
Hospital building where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (infirmary)
Island area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low wetland (archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, rock)
Lake natural body of inland water (backwater, lac, lagoon, laguna, pond, pool, resaca, waterhole)
Levee natural or manmade embankment flanking a stream (bank, berm)
Locale place at which there is or was human activity; it does not include populated places, mines, and dams (battlefield, crossroad, camp, farm, ghost town, landing, railroad siding, ranch, ruins, site, station, windmill)
Military place or facility used for various aspects of or relating to military activity
Mine place or area from which commercial minerals are or were removed from the Earth; not including oilfield (pit, quarry, shaft)
Oilfield area where petroleum is or was removed from the Earth
Park place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural or natural resource and under some form of government administration; not including National or State forests or Reserves (national historical landmark, national park, State park, wilderness area)
Pillar vertical, standing, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation (chimney, monument, pinnacle, pohaku, rock tower)
Plain a region of general uniform slope, comparatively level and of considerable extent (grassland, highland, kula, plateau, upland)
Populated Place place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village
Post Office an official facility of the U.S. Postal Service used for processing and distributing mail and other postal material
Range chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
Rapids fast-flowing section of a stream, often shallow and with exposed rock or boulders (riffle, ripple)
Reserve a tract of land set aside for a specific use (does not include forests, civil divisions, parks)
Reservoir artificially impounded body of water (lake, tank)
Ridge elevation with a narrow, elongated crest which can be part of a hill or mountain (crest, cuesta, escarpment, hogback, lae, rim, spur)
School building or group of buildings used as an institution for study, teaching, and learning (academy, college, high school, university)
Slope a gently inclined part of the Earth's surface (grade, pitch)
Spring place where underground water flows naturally to the surface of the Earth (seep)
Stream linear body of water flowing on the Earth's surface (anabranch, awawa, bayou, branch, brook, creek, distributary, fork, kill, pup, rio, river, run, slough)
Summit prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the Earth's surface; does not include pillars, ridges, or ranges (ahu, berg, bald, butte, cerro, colina, cone, cumbre, dome, head, hill, horn, knob, knoll, mauna, mesa, mesita, mound, mount, mountain, peak, puu, rock, sugarloaf, table, volcano)
Swamp poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy, possibly covered with open water (bog, cienega, marais, marsh, pocosin)
Tower a manmade structure, higher than its diameter, generally used for observation, storage, or electronic transmission
Trail route for passage from one point to another; does not include roads or highways (jeep trail, path, ski trail)
Tunnel linear underground passageway open at both ends
Valley linear depression in the Earth's surface that generally slopes from one end to the other (barranca, canyon, chasm, cove, draw, glen, gorge, gulch, gulf, hollow, ravine)
Well manmade shaft or hole in the Earth's surface used to obtain fluid or gaseous materials

Attribute label: County
Attribute definition:
County that the primary GNIS location of the feature is in.

This is the value recorded in the national GNIS file. It may be incorrect if the State Library has moved the primary point.

Attribute label: Latitude
Attribute definition:
Latitude of the feature's primary point. If the feature is a stream, this is usually the coordinate of the mouth of the stream. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 in the ones column, this feature was moved from outside of Montana to the state boundary. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the feature was edited by the State Library.

Attribute label: Longitude
Attribute definition:
Longitude of the feature's primary point. If the feature is a stream, this is usually the coordinate of the mouth of the stream. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 in the ones column, this feature was moved from outside of Montana to the state boundary. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the feature was edited by the State Library.

Attribute label: Source_Lat
Attribute definition:
Latitude of the feature's upper end. This is blank for most features other than streams and valleys. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 2 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the source was edited by the State Library.

Attribute label: Source_Lon
Attribute definition:
Longitude of the feature's upper end. This is blank for most features other than streams and valleys. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 2 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the source was edited by the State Library.

Attribute label: Elevation
Attribute definition:
Elevation of the feature in feet. This elevation may be an estimate from the National Elevation Dataset, it may be from the 2002 GNIS, or it may be an elevation recorded from a topographic map. The value of the Change_Log field will have a 1 in the thousands place if the elevation was noted as being printed on a 1:24,000 scale topographic map, a 2 in the thousands place if the elevation was estimated by examining the feature location on a 1:24,000 scale topographic map, or a 4 in the thousands place if the elevation was copied from the 2002 GNIS. The elevation source of the 2002 GNIS is believed to be the largest scale topographic map that was available when the feature was entered into the GNIS in the 1980s, which may have been a 1:100000, 1:62500, or 1:24000 scale map.

Attribute label: Map_Name
Attribute definition:
Name of the 1:24,000 scale topographic map that the GNIS location of the feature is in.

This is the value recorded in the national GNIS file. It may be incorrect if the State Library has moved the primary point.

Attribute label: Change_Log
Attribute definition:
This indicates edits performed on the feature by the State Library. Different types of edits are indicated by the existence of numbers in various columns of the decimal value.


Attribute
Value 		Definition of
Attribute Value
1 Feature was moved to Montana's boundary from an out-of-state location.
10 Feature was moved from an incorrect location.
20 Feature's source coordinate was moved from an incorrect location.
30 Feature and its source coordinate were moved from incorrect locations.
100 Feature's Class was changed.
1000 Feature elevation was copied from a 1:24,000 scale topographic map.
2000 Feature elevation was estimated from a 1:24,000 scale topographic map.
4000 Feature elevation was copied from the 2002 GNIS.
10000 Feature name was changed.
100000 Feature was added to the Montana file by the State Library.

Attribute label: State_X
Attribute definition:
Montana State Plane X-Coordinate, in meters, of the feature's primary point.

Attribute label: State_Y
Attribute definition:
Montana State Plane Y-Coordinate, in meters, of the feature's primary point.

Entity type label: All_Names
Entity type definition:
This table contains the official and alternate names of all of the Montana Geographic Names Framework features.

Attribute label: GNIS_ID
Attribute definition:
This is the unique Feature_ID assigned to the feature by the GNIS. Features with negative ID numbers have been added to the database by the State Library and are not in the national GNIS.

Attribute label: Name
Attribute definition:
Name of the feature. This may be the official name or an alternate name.

Attribute label: Official
Attribute definition: Official status of the name.


Attribute
Value 		Definition of
Attribute Value
Official The name is the official name recognized by the Board on Geographic Names.
Alternate The name is an alternate name known to the Board on Geographic Names. The name may be an incorrect or old name that has been officially changed, or it may be any other name that the feature has been reffered to as, but not recognized as official.
Montana The State of Montana believes the name is correct, but the name has yet to be acknowledged as official by the Board on Geographic Names.
BGN The name is the official name recognized by the Board on Geographic Names, but the State of Montana believes it is incorrect.

Attribute label: Date_Created
Attribute definition: Date when the name was entered into the GNIS

Entity type label: Descriptions
Entity type definition:
This table contains descriptions, notes, and historical information about selected GNIS features which were written by the Board on Geographic Names staff.

Attribute label: GNIS_ID
Attribute definition:
This is the unique Feature_ID assigned to the feature by the GNIS. Features with negative ID numbers have been added to the database by the State Library and are not in the national GNIS.

Attribute label: Name
Attribute definition: Name of the feature from the GNIS feature class.

Attribute label: Description
Attribute definition:
Description of the feature location, feature type, or a note that the feature coordinate is approximate.

Attribute label: History
Attribute definition:
History of the feature or history of the Board on Geographic Names' actions regarding the feature.

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Distribution Information:
Distributor:
Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800


Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov


Resource description: Downloadable Data


Distribution liability:
The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.
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Metadata Reference Information:
Metadata date: 11/04/2016
Metadata contact:
Montana State Library
P.O. Box 201800
Helena, Montana 59620-1800


Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov


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