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--- version:As Introduced
+++ version:(document, no version)
@@ -1,84 +1,125 @@
-  A.B. 354
+ 1
+NEVADA STATE BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
 
-- *AB354*
+Documents supplemental to AB354, revising provisions relating to the Nevada State Board on
+Geographic Names. (BDR 26-718)
 
-ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 354–COMMITTEE
-ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
+I. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
+The Nevada State Board of Geographic Names (NSBGN) was established by Senate Bill 265
+(1985). This original legislation was amended by Senate Bill 157 (1993). Senate Bill 157 (1993)
+amended the membership of the NSGBN to include the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. as a
+member organization of the board. The authorizing legislation was further amended through
+Senate Bill 43 (2017). Senate Bill 43 (2017) made an adjustment to the name of the State Library
+and Archives. It additionally added the United States Park Service as member organization of the
+board. The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. language was broadened to include a “successor
+organization.” Assembly Bill 72 (2021) added the Nevada Indian Commission as a member
+organization of the Board. This bill additionally struck language making the “State Resident
+Cartographer” the Executive Secretary of the board. This amendment additionally allowed the
+Vice Chair to preside in the absence of the Chair. Section 25 of Assembly Bill 516 (2023)
+changed the Nevada Indian Commission to the Department of Native American Affairs.
 
-MARCH 4, 2025
-____________
+The authority of the State Board of Geographic Names (NSBGN) is found in NRS 327.100-NRS
+327.150 inclusive:
+NSGBN Statute:
+• Nevada Revised Statute, Chapter 327
 
-Referred to Committee on Natural Resources
+Legislation Establishing NSGBN:
+• Senate Bill 265 (1985). Board established
 
-SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the Nevada State
-Board on Geographic Names. (BDR 26-718)
+Legislation Amending NSGBN:
+• Senate Bill 443 (1993). Added representative of Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada to NSBGN
+• Senate Bill 43 (2017). Inclusion of National Park Service
+• Assembly Bill 72 (2021). Adds Representative from Nevada Indian Commission
+• Assembly Bill 516 (2023). Changed Nevada Indian Commission to Department of Native
+American Affairs
 
-FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
- Effect on the State: Yes.
+ 2
+II. FEDERAL AGENCY REQUESTS TO BE REMOVED FROM NSBGN BOARD
 
-~
+From U.S. FOREST SERVICE (March 17, 2025)
+Hi Christine
+The USDA Forest Service (FS) is required to provide input to State Names Authorities regarding the
+official agency position on geographic names proposals that come before the SNA for geographic features
+on or near lands managed by the FS.  A USDA Forest Service employee/subject matter expert is assigned
+to provide this offical opinion/recommendation and to serve as a nonvoting federal advisor to the Nevada
+Geographic Names Board.
+We are grateful for the opportunity to provide the FS opinion and to provide any additional information to
+help the NV State Geographic Names Authority as the board considers geographic names proposals that
+are on lands managed by the USDA FS.
 
-EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
+Thanks you,
+Betsy Kanalley
+USDA Member to the US Board on Geographic Names
 
-AN ACT relating to governmental administration ; revising the
-membership of the Nevada State Board on Geographic
-Names; and providing other matters properly relating
-thereto.
-Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
- Existing law creates the Nevada State Board on Geo graphic Names to 1
-coordinate and approve geographic names within the State for official 2
-recommendation to the United States Board o n Geographic Names. (NRS 327.110) 3
-The Nevada State Board on Geographic Names consists of 12 voting members, 4
-which include vari ous representatives from various state and federal agencies and 5
-the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. (NRS 327.120) Section 1 of this bill : (1) 6
-removes the representatives from both the United States National Park Service and 7
-the Nevada Historical Society on the Nevada State Board on Geographic Names ; 8
-and (2) adds to the Board one representative each from the  Division of Museums 9
-and History  of the Departme nt of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the United 10
-States Fish and Wildlife Service . Section 2 of this bill allows the representatives 11
-appointed by the United States National Park Service and the Nevada Historical 12
-Society who are serving on the Board on or before July 1, 2025, to continue servin g 13
-on the Board until their successors are designated by the appropriate agencies in 14
-accordance with the provisions of section 1. 15
+Betsy Kanalley
+Assistant Director
+Forest Service
+Field Services & Innovation
+Center
+Geospatial Office
 
-THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
-SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
+elizabeth.kanalley@usda.gov
+201 14th Street, SW
+Washington, DC 20250
 
- Section 1.  NRS 327.120 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
- 327.120  The Board consists of: 2
+From U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, (March 12, 2025)
+Dear Madam Executive Secretary:
 
- – 2 –
+I am writing to kindly request that you remove any National Park Service (NPS) representative from the
+ranks of the voting members of the Nevada State Board on Geographic Names.  In the past, a similar
+arrangement in another State was deemed problematic by our Ethics Office.  Instead, an NPS
+representative could serve as a non-voting advisor to your State Board.
 
-- *AB354*
- 1.  Twelve voting members, which include one representative 1
-of each of the following agencies or organizations: 2
- (a) Bureau of Mines and Geology of the State of Nevada. 3
- (b) Faculty of the University of Nevada, Reno. 4
- (c) Faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 5
- (d) Division of State Library, Archives and Public Records of 6
-the Department of Administration. 7
- (e) Department of Transportation of the State. 8
- (f) State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 9
- (g) [Nevada Historical Society. ] Division of Museums and 10
-History of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. 11
- (h) Department of Native American Affairs. 12
- (i) United States Bureau of Land Management. 13
- (j) United States Forest Service. 14
- (k) United States [National Park] Fish and Wildlife Service. 15
- (l) Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. , or its successor 16
-organization. 17
- Each agency or organization shall designate a representative and 18
-one alternative representative for this purpose. 19
- 2.  An Executive Secretary who is a nonvoting member of the 20
-Board. The voting members of the Board shall select the Executive 21
-Secretary. 22
- Sec. 2.  Notwithstanding the amendatory provisions of section 23
-1 of this act, any person who, on July 1, 2025, is serving as a 24
-representative of the Nevada State Board on Geographic Names 25
-from the Nevada Historical Society and the United States National 26
-Park Service may continue to serve in that capacity until his or her 27
-successor is designated by the appropriate agency pursuant to NRS 28
-327.120, as amended by section 1 of this act. 29
- Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 30
+Many thanks for your assistance.
 
-H
+Yours very sincerely,
+
+Michael M. Shelton
+Senior Program Analyst
+Office of Policy
+National Park Service
+Deputy Member, U.S. Board on
+Geographic Names
+1849 C Street NW / Mailstop 2659
+Washington, DC  20240-0001
+(202) 354-3954 (Direct Dial)
+(202) 354-3950 (Gen’l Off. No.)
+ 3
+(202) 371-5189 (Fax)
+
+From U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (March 12, 2025)
+Hi Christine,
+
+I have been aware of the question of federal employee participation on state-level geographic naming
+groups over my time representing BLM on the BGN. I have generally avoided directing how each BLM
+State Office handles geographic naming topics, including participation on state boards at the request of
+my management. The state boards are generally great given the lack of resources at the federal level to do
+local outreach so I want BLM staff to support their operations when helpful. I have heard about the
+ethical considerations but have not gotten advice on that from our ethics officials. When asked, I have
+advised BLM staff to support state boards but not vote on them given the ethical ambiguity.
+
+My primary concern with staff participation at the state level is any conflict between the official opinion
+about a name that I convey to the US BGN and an opinion/information conveyed by BLM staff to a state
+board. When there is a name proposal on BLM managed surface lands, I contact a BLM state geographic
+names POC and Tribal liaison and ask them to facilitate reaching out to local office management for an
+opinion, given their knowledge of local history, Tribal/community interests, geography, etc. BLM HQ
+rarely if ever overrules the opinion expressed by local or state level BLM management, but we often need
+to have a conversation to discuss relevant policies and authorities given that BLM staff facilitating the
+process are not in the chain of command that would be authorized to convey an official opinion to me. I
+want to make sure I am communicating the same message to the BGN that BLM state staff are conveying
+to state boards.
+
+I will review the information you shared, talk to my colleagues in Nevada and my management, and get
+back to you. I'm not sure I will be able to get you an official opinion, but I will certainly investigate our
+options. Geographic names always seem to present difficult questions and interesting conversations.
+
+Cheers,
+
+Pat
+
+Patrick Mahoney
+Geospatial Program Manager
+Division of Decision Support, Planning and NEPA (HQ-210)
+Bureau of Land Management
+202 407 0422
+HQ-210 Geospatial Program Sharepoint (internal)