FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

DOI - 84656 - Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names - Agency Authority

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names	Agency Name	Department of the Interior
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	84656
Original Establishment Date	2/28/2022	Committee Status	Terminated
Actual Termination Date	2/27/2025	Committee URL	https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1892/advisory-committe...
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	17
Terminated This FY	Yes	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Designated Federal Officer
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix
Current Charter Date	2/28/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Alma
Date Of Renewal Charter	2/28/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Ripps
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority	2025 Secretary Directive - Elimination of Federal Advisory Committees Within the Department of the Interior, 02 27 2025	Designated Federal Officer Phone*	(202) 354-3951
Establishment Authority*	Agency Authority	Designated Federal Officer Fax*
Specific Establishment Authority*	Secretary's Order 3405	Designated Federal Officer Email*	alma_ripps@nps.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	11/19/2021
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Non Scientific Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Terminate
Legislation to Terminate Required	No
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Committee will meet in open, public forums to receive briefings and status updates from Department of the Interior and bureau officials regarding matters scheduled to come before the Committee. Opportunity will be provided for public response/comment on issues for consideration by the Committee in formulating its recommendations. The use of subcommittees will enable the Committee to reach beyond its membership and tap expertise of non-members, greatly facilitating broadened accomplishments.
How is membership balanced?*	Committee membership consists of no more than 17 discretionary members to be appointed by the Secretary of whom, to the extent practicable: at least four will be members of an Indian Tribe; at least one will represent a Tribal organization; at least one will represent a Native Hawaiian organization; at least four will have backgrounds in civil rights or race relations; at least four will have expertise in anthropology, cultural studies, geography, or history; and at least three will represent the general public.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The Committee will meet approximately two to four times annually.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	There is no other independent advisory group consisting of subject matter experts and representatives from impacted communities that can provide recommendations to the Secretary on changes to existing Federal land unit names and additional terms that may be considered derogatory, as well as identify resources required to implement any resulting name changes
Why close or partially close meetings?	All meetings of the Committee will be open to the public.
Recommendation Remarks	No meetings were held in FY 25. Consistent with Executive Order 14217, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, the Advisory Committee was terminated by Secretary Burgum on February 27, 2025.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	No	Action Reorganize Priorities*	Yes
Outcome Trust In Government	Yes	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	Yes	Action Comment
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	Yes	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment		Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	N/A	Grants Review Comment	N/A
Number Of Recommendations*	10	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The Committee made 10 recommendations in FY 2024 as explained below. In FY25, no action was taken on these recommendations. In addition, the Committee did not meet so there were no new recommendations transmitted to the Secretary. At the November 14-16, 2023, meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i, the Committee made several recommendations as follows: -Adopted the Place Name Reconciliation Guiding Visions and Principles. -Recommended seven potentially derogatory Federal land unit names that require engagement and input from Tribal, State, and local governments, affected Federal agencies and departments, and local communities. -Recommended 509 potentially derogatory geographic feature names that require engagement and input from Tribal, State, and local governments, affected Federal agencies and departments, and local communities. -Recommended that the term “coon” be declared derogatory by the Secretary and replaced on the landscape with the word “raccoon” except in instances where the feature can be clearly traced to someone with that surname. In those cases, an individual’s first name should be included. At the June 10-11, 2024, meeting in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Committee made several recommendations as follows: -Approved the working definition of “derogatory” to help evaluate potentially derogatory terms. -Recommended the Secretary use her authority to rename both the geographic feature and associated unincorporated populated place from Devils Tower to Bear Lodge. -Recommended the Secretary petition the President to change the name of Devils Tower National Monument to Bear Lodge National Monument. -Recommended five potentially derogatory terms, associated with 143 geographic features, that require engagement and input from Tribal, State, and local governments, affected Federal agencies and departments, and local communities. -Recommended 10 changes to improve the process for naming geographic features managed by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. -Recommended 16 actions to take around education, engagement, outreach, and partnerships related to the geographic feature naming process.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	0.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	The has been no implementation of the Committee's recommendations at the time of this reporting.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	0.00%	Access Publications	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	The has been no implementation of the Committee's recommendations at the time of this reporting.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	N/A
Agency Feedback Comment*	National Park Service officials will provide oral or written briefings or status reports during meetings of the Committee. On May 22, 2024, the Secretary sent back a response letter to the Committee regarding their November 2023 recommendations.	Narrative Description*	The Committee will recommend a process to solicit, encourage, and assist proposals to the Secretary to change derogatory geographic names. The Committee will make recommendations to the Secretary regarding Federal land unit names that are considered derogatory; however, in many cases, ( e.g., the names of national parks and designated wilderness an act of Congress will be required. The term "Federal land unit" includes (1) National Forest System land; (2) a unit of the National Park System; (3) a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System; (4) any part of the National Landscape Conservation System; and (5) a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Committee will solicit proposals to replace derogatory geographic feature and Federal land unit names from: Indian Tribes; appropriate State and local Governments; the affected Federal Agency or Department; and members of the Public.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$0.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$1,239.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$0.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$0.00	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$0.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$0.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$0.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$0.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$0.00
11. Total Costs	$1,239.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$0.00
Date Cost Last Modified	9/8/2025 10:59 AM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	0.00
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	0.01	Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks	The Committee did not meet in FY2025. The only costs were staff time to (1) update the website showing that the Committee had been terminated (GS-13, 1 hour), (2) the DFO contacting each member to thank them for their service and work over the past three years and to tell them that the Secretary had terminated the Committee (GS-15, 3 hours), and (3) DFO updating the ACR and compiling Committee records for shipment to the Federal Records Center for permanent storage (GS-15, 10 hours). This equates to 0.005 of an FTE.

Interest Areas

Category Area Civil Rights Civil Rights Minorities Native Americans Government Federal Government Land National Parks, Sites, Trails, Recreational Areas Monuments Social Sciences History Social Sciences

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