gnis_l

Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)
Publication Date: 20070501
Title: gnis_l
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: vector digital data
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details: 1:24000
Online Linkage: http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/

Description:

Abstract:
gnis_l contains names and point locations of landform features such as summits, islands, capes, bars, and ridges, as shown on USGS 1:24,000 scale quadrangles. The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) actively seeks data from and partnerships with Government agencies at all levels and other interested organizations. 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. See http://geonames.usgs.gov for additional information.
Purpose:
The Geographic Names Information System contains information about physical and cultural geographic features of all types in the United States, associated areas, and Antarctica, current and historical, but not including roads and highways. The database holds the Federally recognized name of each feature and defines the feature location by state, county, USGS topographic map, and geographic coordinates. Other attributes include names or spellings other than the official name, feature designations, feature classification, historical and descriptive information, and for some categories the geometric boundaries. The database assigns a unique, permanent feature identifier, the Feature ID, as a standard Federal key for accessing, integrating, or reconciling feature data from multiple data sets. The GNIS collects data from a broad program of partnerships with Federal, State, and local government agencies and other authorized contributors. The GNIS provides data to all levels of government and to the public, as well as to numerous applications through a web query site, web map and feature services, file download services, and customized files upon request.
Supplemental Information:
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names was created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to establish and maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. The Board serves all government agencies and the public as the central authority to which name inquiries, name issues, and new name proposals can be directed. It is comprised of representatives of Federal agencies associated with land management and cartography. Sharing its responsibilities with the Secretary of the Interior, the Board develops principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of both domestic and foreign geographic names as well as undersea and Antarctic feature names.
Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: 1974
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Present
Ending Time: Unknown

Currentness Reference: Ground Condition

Status:

Progress: In work
Maintenance and Update Frequency: As needed

Spatial Domain:

Bounding Coordinates:

West Bounding Coordinate: -71.33224
East Bounding Coordinate: -66.85366
North Bounding Coordinate: 47.27991
South Bounding Coordinate: 42.83278

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: Maine GIS Thesaurus-Theme
Theme Keyword: location
Theme Keyword: economy
Theme Keyword: society
Theme Keyword: environment
Theme Keyword: structure
Theme Keyword: imageryBaseMapsEarthCover
Theme Keyword: inlandWaters
Theme Keyword: transportation
Theme Keyword: utilitiesCommunication
Theme Keyword: Feature identification
Theme Keyword: Geographic feature
Theme Keyword: Geographical feature
Theme Keyword: Geographic name
Theme Keyword: Geographical name
Theme Keyword: Feature name
Theme Keyword: Official feature name
Theme Keyword: Place name
Theme Keyword: Feature coordinates
Theme Keyword: Feature state
Theme Keyword: Feature county
Theme Keyword: Feature class
Theme Keyword: Feature description
Theme Keyword: Feature designation

Theme:

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: ISO Keyword Thesaurus
Theme Keyword: elevation
Theme Keyword: location
Theme Keyword: society

Place:

Place Keyword Thesaurus: Geographic Names Information System, USGS, Reston, VA
Place Keyword: United States
Place Keyword: State
Place Keyword: County
Place Keyword: Territory
Place Keyword: Outlying Area
Place Keyword: Topographic Map
Place Keyword: Commonwealth
Place Keyword: Parish
Place Keyword: Borough
Place Keyword: Census Area
Place Keyword: Municipio
Place Keyword: District
Place Keyword: Populated Place
Place Keyword: Antarctica

Temporal:

Temporal Keyword Thesaurus: None
Temporal Keyword: Current
Temporal Keyword: Historical

Access Constraints:
Secondary distribution by permission only. Please see Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS) License Agreement at http://megis.maine.gov/ . Any secondary distribution must have this documentation appended.
Use Constraints:
Users must assume responsibility in determining the usability of this data for their purposes. Digital maps retain the accuracy of their source materials. The best use of data mapped at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 is in statewide planning and studies; at 1:100,000 in regional planning and studies; at 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 in detailed studies and local planning; and at 1:12,000 and 1:5,000 or larger scales in parcel level studies and detailed local planning. In the use of Maine GIS data, please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the correct copy of both data and metadata from the Maine GIS Data Catalog. The Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS) provides notice of updates and corrections directly to the Maine GIS Technical Group and Maine GIS Users, through the MEGISTECH and MEGISUSER list servers. To subscribe please contact MeGIS through the Maine Office of Information Technology (OIT) Customer Support Center (CSC) at (207) 624-7700. To request data correction in, or provide updates to Maine GIS data, please use the contact information contained in the metadata. Updates, corrections, and feedback, incorporated in the Maine GIS database are made in accordance with "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", 2002, and coordinated by MEGIS in consultation with the Maine GIS Executive Council. Acknowledgement of the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
Point of Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Organization Primary:

Contact Organization: Maine Office of GIS

Contact Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing address
Address: 145 State House Station
City: Augusta
State or Province: ME
Postal Code: 04333-0145
Country: United States

Contact Facsimile Telephone: 207-287-3842
Hours of Service: 0800 - 1700 EST

Data Set Credit: Credit should always be given to the data source and/or originator when the data is transferred or printed.
Native Data Set Environment:
Maine Office of Information Technology (OIT) Oracle 9i, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS), Maine GIS SDE, SDEUSER, SDE.DEFAULT, Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/, Maine GIS ArcIMS http://megisims.state.me.us/website/basemap/viewer.htm
Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Geodata.gov, Geospatial One-Stop
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
Geodata.gov is a geographic information system (GIS) portal, also known as the Geospatial One-Stop (GOS) that serves as a public gateway for improving access to geospatial information and data under the Geospatial One-Stop E-Government initiative. Geospatial One-Stop is one of 24 E-Government initiatives sponsored by the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to enhance government efficiency and to improve citizen services. See the Geographic Names community in geodata.gov.
Online Linkage: http://gos2.geodata.gov/

Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: The National Map
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
The National Map, is a seamless, continuously maintained set of public domain geographic base information that serves as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. The National Map viewer is a Web-enabled portal to all of the geospatial information contained in The National Map. This portal not only supports on-line access to the geospatial information, but also allows the download of digital data and creation of cartographic products. The GNIS supports The National Map as the source for the gazetteer search in Find Place function of The National Map viewer and as active names layers.
Online Linkage: http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/

Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: The National Atlas
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
The National Atlas summarizes national-scale geographical information and delivers easy to use, map-like views of America's natural and sociocultural landscapes. This digital version revises a large bound collection of paper maps that was published in 1970. The Atlas serves a diverse populace as an essential reference, a framework for information discovery, an instrument of education, an aid in research, and a reliable source of government information. It includes stimulating products and services for children and adults to understand complex relationships among environments, places, and people. It contributes to our knowledge of the environmental, resource, demographic, economic, social, political, and historical dimensions of American life. Though it cannot display detailed map information, the Atlas directs users to other sources for this information. The GNIS provides geographic feature, location, and attribute data to the National Atlas.
Online Linkage: http://nationalatlas.gov/

Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: The National Hydrography Dataset
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that contains information about surface water features such as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, springs and wells. Within the NHD, surface water features are combined to form "reaches," which provide the framework for linking water-related data to the NHD surface water drainage network. These linkages enable the analysis and display of these water-related data in upstream and downstream order. The GNIS provides geographic feature name data to the National Hydrography Dataset.
Online Linkage: http://nhd.usgs.gov/

Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: National Geospatial Agency (NGA)
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: GEOnet Names Server
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
The GEOnet Names Server (GNS) provides access to the National Geospatial Agency (NGA) database of foreign geographic feature names. The database is the official repository of foreign place-name decisions approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (US BGN). Approximately 20,000 of the database's features are updated monthly.
Online Linkage: http://gnswww.nga.mil/geonames/GNS/index.jsp

Cross Reference:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Census Bureau
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: LandView
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
LandView is a desktop mapping system that searches and maps selected information from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Census Bureau, and the U.S. Geological Survey. LandView contains a large subset of GNIS feature, location, and attribute data for the United States. It is available on DVD. See the LandView web site for information concerning the latest edition and ordering.
Online Linkage: http://landview.census.gov/

Attribute Accuracy:

Attribute Accuracy Report:
During Phase I data compilation, a random sample of 10% of the entries in the system were visually verified against the compilation source data (large-scale USGS topographic maps) to ensure an accuracy rate of at least 95%. Subsequent data compilation and input processes ensure accuracy with programmed validation checks for format and content, visual examination, and spot checks of data.
Logical Consistency Report: Locational references (geographic coordinates, topographic map, and county) are cross-checked for logical consistency.
Completeness Report: Dataset is complete.
Positional Accuracy:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report:
Accuracy of these digital data is based upon the use of printed or electronic source graphics which are compiled to meet National Map Accuracy Standards. Comparison to the graphic source is used as control to assess digital positional accuracy.
Lineage:

Source Information:

Source Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: 1:24,000-scale topographic maps
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: Map
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Source Scale Denominator: 24000
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: Unknown
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Present
Ending Time: Unknown

Source Currentness Reference: Publication date

Source Citation Abbreviation: USGS
Source Contribution: Feature names and attribute data.

Source Information:

Source Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication Date: Unpublished material
Title: Records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Source Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: 1890
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Present
Ending Time: Unknown

Source Currentness Reference: Creation date

Source Citation Abbreviation: USBGN
Source Contribution: Feature names and attribute information

Source Information:

Source Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: U.S. Forest Service
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: U.S. Forest Service 1:24,000-scale topographic maps and visitor maps
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Source Scale Denominator: 24000
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: Unknown
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Present
Ending Time: Unknown

Source Currentness Reference: Publication date

Source Citation Abbreviation: USFS
Source Contribution: Feature names and attribute information

Source Information:

Source Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: National Ocean Service (NOS)
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: National Ocean Service charts
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Source Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: Unknown
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Present
Ending Time: Unknown

Source Currentness Reference: Publication date

Source Citation Abbreviation: NOAA/NOS
Source Contribution: Feature names and attribute information

Source Information:

Source Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: The State Names Authorities,Council of Geographic Names Authorities (COGNA),U.S. Forest Service,National Ocean Service (NOS),National Park Service (NPS),Other Federal, state and local agencies,Public
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Unknown
Publication Information:

Publication Place: Augusta ME
Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

Other Citation Details:
Since the original data compilation was completed from the original sources, GNIS accepts data or data changes for consideration from any source, and upon validation by the Board on Geographic Names or the appropriate Federal or state agency, will enter the data into the database. The GNIS has an active data gathering and maintenance program. A web-based data date entry and edit application allows authorized users to submit transaction data directly for validation and entry into the database, where it immediately becomes available to all web services and applications. A test and demonstration site with no connection to production data is available for review, training, and familiarization. Batch files will be accepted in most standard formats. Government agencies at all levels are encouraged to join this program. Other organizations and individuals will be considered on a case basis. For additional information or to request user accounts for entry and edit of production data and web seminar training, contact gnis_manager@usgs.gov.
Source Time Period of Content:

Time Period Information:

Range of Dates/Times:

Beginning Date: Unknown
Beginning Time: Unknown
Ending Date: Unknown
Ending Time: Unknown

Source Currentness Reference: Unknown

Source Citation Abbreviation: Various
Source Contribution: Feature names and attribute information

Process Step:

Process Description:
GNIS Phase I data compilation and edit - Feature name and attribute data were collected from the largest-scale USGS topographic maps available. These data are compared to the records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USGS
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USBGN
Process Date: 198105
Process Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Roger L. Payne
Contact Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project
Contact Address:

Address Type: Mailing address
Address: 523 National Center
City: Reston
State or Province: Virginia
Postal Code: 20192

Contact Voice Telephone: 703 648 4544
Contact Electronic Mail Address: gnis_manager@usgs.gov
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Process Step:

Process Description: GNIS Phase II data compilation and edit - Feature name and attribute data are collected from official state and local sources and other approved sources including historical maps and documents.
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USGS
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USBGN
Process Date: Not complete
Process Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Roger L. Payne
Contact Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project
Contact Address:

Address Type: Mailing address
Address: 523 National Center
City: Reston
State or Province: Virginia
Postal Code: 20192

Contact Voice Telephone: 703 648 4544
Contact Electronic Mail Address: gnis_manager@usgs.gov
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Process Step:

Process Description:
GNIS Maintenance program - Federal and state maintenance cooperators submit new and corrected data in conjunction with their mapping and geographical information system data maintenance programs. The GNIS has an active data gathering and maintenance program. A web-based data date entry and edit application allows authorized users to submit transaction data directly for validation and entry into the database, where it immediately becomes available to all web services and applications. A test and demonstration site with no connection to production data is available for review, training, and familiarization. Batch files will be accepted in most standard formats. Government agencies at all levels are encouraged to join this program. Other organizations and individuals will be considered on a case basis. For additional information or to request user accounts for entry and edit of production data and web seminar training, contact gnis_manager@usgs.gov or the individual below.
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USGS
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USBGN
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USFS
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: NOAA/NOS
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: Various
Process Date: Not complete
Process Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Louis A. Yost
Contact Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact Position: Chief, Geographic Names Information Section
Contact Address:

Address Type: Mailing address
Address: 523 National Center
City: Reston
State or Province: Virginia
Postal Code: 20192

Contact Voice Telephone: 703 648 4552
Contact Electronic Mail Address: lyost@usgs.gov
Hours of Service: 0900-1700 Eastern time

Process Step:

Process Description:
Partnerships - the Geographic Names Project enters into partnerships with State names authorities and State and local GIS agencies to integrate name, location, and attribute data in the GNIS with State and local datasets. These partnerships utilize GIS and web technology to automate and simplify data maintenance, ensure data consistency, integrity, and accuracy, and meet the requirements of the Board on Geographic Names for national names standardization. Government agencies at all levels are encouraged to join this program. Other organizations and individuals will be considered on a case basis. For additional information contact the individual below.
Process Date: Not complete
Process Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Roger L. Payne
Contact Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project
Contact Address:

Address Type: Mailing address
Address: 523 National Center
City: Reston
State or Province: Virginia
Postal Code: 20192

Contact Voice Telephone: 703 648 4544
Contact Electronic Mail Address: gnis_manager@usgs.gov
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Process Step:

Process Description:
A data extract from the Geographic Names Information System was downloaded as a tab delimited text (.txt) file within a compressed (.zip) format. The .txt file was imported into an Access database and queried out by 3 different types; hydrography features, landform features and place location names. Coverages were generated using ArcInfo for each of the 3 types (hydrography, landform, place). Attributes from a separate table were joined by feature id and shapefiles were created in ArcMap. The shapefiles were then loaded into an ArcSDE/Oracle database.
Source Used Citation Abbreviation: USGS
Process Date: 2007/05/01
Process Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Organization Primary:

Contact Organization: Maine Office of GIS

Contact Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing address
Address: 145 State House Station
City: Augusta
State or Province: ME
Postal Code: 04333-0145
Country: United States

Contact Facsimile Telephone: 207-287-3842
Hours of Service: 0800 - 1700 EST

Cloud Cover: 0

Indirect Spatial Reference: Features are located by State and county, and related to the USGS topographic map on which the feature is shown.
Direct Spatial Reference Method: Vector
Point and Vector Object Information:

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Entity point

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Area point

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Node, planar graph

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Complete chain

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: GT-polygon composed of chains

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Point
Point and Vector Object Count: 7334

Horizontal Coordinate System Definition:

Planar:

Grid Coordinate System:

Grid Coordinate System Name: Universal Transverse Mercator 1983
Universal Transverse Mercator:

UTM Zone Number: 19
Transverse Mercator:

Scale Factor at Central Meridian: 0.9996
Longitude of Central Meridian: -69
Latitude of Projection Origin: 0
False Easting: 500000
False Northing: 0

Planar Coordinate Information:

Planar Coordinate Encoding Method: Coordinate Pair
Coordinate Representation:

Abscissa Resolution: 1
Ordinate Resolution: 1

Planar Distance Units: m

Geodetic Model:

Horizontal Datum Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major Axis: 6378137
Denominator of Flattening Ratio: 298.257

Detailed Description:

Entity Type:

Entity Type Label: Geographic feature
Entity Type Definition:
A geographic feature is any relatively permanent part of the natural or manmade landscape or seascape that has recognizable identity within a particular cultural context. The primary attributes of a geographic feature are name and location.
Entity Type Definition Source:
Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).
Attribute:

Attribute Label: County
Attribute Definition:
The county or counties or county equivalents containing the geographic feature. This dataset contains features in counties or county equivalents of the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, territories, outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas. This is relational data, not spatial data. The data owner specifies the value(s) associated with each geographic feature. Values are represented by county name and county numeric code. The primary county is the county containing the primary point and is assigned sequence number one. Secondary counties are those other than the primary county containing the feature and are sequenced according to guidelines of the Board on Geographic Names. For linear features (streams, valleys, arroyos) the sequencing is from mouth toward source. Secondary counties are displayed in the GNIS public web query site but currently are not available from the GNIS web map service, XML service, or downloadable files. Customized data files will be provide upon request. This data applies particularly to features for which there is no known, recognized, standard, or available boundary data.
Attribute Definition Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.
Attribute Domain Values:

Codeset Domain:

Codeset Name: Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.
Codeset Source: Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-4, Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.

Attribute:

Attribute Label: Decilat
Attribute Definition: latitude in decimal degrees

Attribute:

Attribute Label: Decilong
Attribute Definition: longitude in decimal degrees

Attribute:

Attribute Label: Elevation
Attribute Definition:
The elevation above sea level of the feature at the primary point (positive number) or depth of a feature at the lowest point below sea level (negative number). Elevation figures are not official and do not represent precisely measured or surveyed values. The data are extracted from digital elevation models of the National Elevation Dataset (http://ned.usgs.gov/) for the primary coordinates and may differ from elevations cited in other sources. The differences will be most evident for features such as summits where precision is of more concern and where the local relief (rate of change of elevation) may be more prominent. However, the elevation figures are within tolerances for the data for most points and sufficiently accurate for purposes of general information. Elevation data are displayed in the GNIS public web query site but currently are not available from the GNIS web map service, XML service, or downloadable files. Customized data files will be provide upon request.
Attribute Definition Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: -13,500
Range Domain Maximum: 20,500
Attribute Units of Measure: Feet

Attribute:

Attribute Label: FID_
Attribute Definition:
A permanent, unique identifying number for a geographic feature record. 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.
Attribute Definition Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 1
Range Domain Maximum: 9,999,999,999

Attribute:

Attribute Label: Map_Name
Attribute Definition:
The name of the standard USGS 7.5x7.5 degree quadrangle map(s) containing the representation of the feature. Map names are displayed in the GNIS public web query site but currently are not available from the GNIS web map service, XML service, or downloadable files. Customized data files will be provide upon request.
Attribute Definition Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.
Attribute Domain Values:

Codeset Domain:

Codeset Name: The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Codeset Source:
The official database of names assigned to standard USGS products according to USGS policy and procedures, including standard 7.5x7.5 degree quadrangle maps and digital products. Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).
Attribute:

Attribute Label: Name
Attribute Definition:
A geographic feature name and its written form and application approved or recognized as official by the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. The official name is established either by policy or by decision of the Board on Geographic Names. A geographic feature may have only one official name, which must be the name applied to the feature on all Federal products, electronic or printed.
Attribute Definition Source:
Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).
Attribute Domain Values:

Codeset Domain:

Codeset Name: Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names
Codeset Source:
Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).
Beginning Date of Attribute Values: 18900804

Attribute:

Attribute Label: Type
Attribute Definition:
Type is a designation for a group of features in a broadly defined descriptive category. All features are assigned to one and only one class. They do not individually classify all kinds of cultural and natural features. By design, there are no Federal or industry standards or guidelines for feature classification. These classifications originally were developed for mainframe file structure search purposes. Although the terms are generally consistent with dictionary definitions, they may not conform exactly and are not always intuitive.
Attribute Definition Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).
Attribute Domain Values:

Codeset Domain:

Codeset Name: Feature class values and definitions for the Geographic Names Information System (http:\\geonames.usgs.gov).
Codeset Source: Geographic Names Project, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).

Overview Description:

Entity and Attribute Overview:
GNIS-L contains names and point locations of landform features such as summits, islands, capes, bars, and ridges, as shown on USGS 1:24,000 scale quadrangles. Each record includes: the official name of the feature; the feature type; the county(s) in which the feature is located; the name(s) of the USGS 1:24,000-scale topographic map(s) on which the feature is shown; geographic coordinates locating the mouth of linear features and coordinates locating the feature on each additional (if any) USGS 1:24,000-scale map on which the feature is shown.
Entity and Attribute Detail Citation:
The ArcView shapefile and ArcGIS geodatabase formats, commonly used for Maine GIS data, carry default identifiers and attributes that are software generated and/or important for internal recordkeeping. These are listed here to avoid repetition for every layer, and may not be repeated in the attribute descriptions and definitions of each layer. Common software generated identifiers and attributes in Maine GIS data include: FID (feature identifier), Shape (feature geometry), OBJECTID and SHAPE_lengt. In addition, most GIS formats will carry fields for PERIMETER, AREA and/or LENGTH according to feature geometry. These fields are typically available by default, with the units based on coordinate system or projection units of GIS data. Most GIS software packages also provide a means to calculate these values. It is important to test any columns containing PERIMETER, AREA or LENGTH values before using them for analysis purposes. These important values can be carried from format to format and become out-dated. Verify that the values are correct. Also, in your GIS software, please view the properties of data layers for the map units used to calculate these fields, and for the units set for display purposes.

Distributor:

Contact Information:

Contact Organization Primary:

Contact Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems

Contact Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing address
Address: State House Station 145
City: Augusta
State or Province: ME
Postal Code: 04333-0145
Country: USA

Contact Voice Telephone: (207) 624-7700
Contact Facsimile Telephone: (207) 287-3842
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST

Distribution Liability:
Users must assume responsibility to determine the usability of this data for their purposes. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems, no warranty expressed or implied is made by MEGIS regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Neither the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems, nor any of its contributors, is liable for misuse of the data, for damage, for transmission of viruses, or for computer contamination through the distribution of these data sets.
Standard Order Process:

Digital Form:

Digital Transfer Information:

Format Name: ESRI Shapefile
Format Version Number: ARC Version 9.x
Format Specification: ArcView Shapefile Format
Format Information Content:
MEGIS has made all vector layers, in the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog, available in ESRI's ArcView shapefile format. A shapefile is a simple non-topological format that stores the geometry and attribute information for a set of geographic features as a set of vector (point, line, polygon) coordinates. Shapefiles draw quickly and directly in ArcView, ArcGIS, ArcExplorer. Shapefiles are a compatible data type for many other types of GIS software. Three files are fundamental to each shapefile: .shp stores the feature geometry (shape and location information); .shx stores the index of the feature geometry; .dbf a dBASE (TM) file stores the attribute information for the features. Other index files may be created to help speed analysis and query: these file formats are .sbn .sbx .ain .aix .fbn and .fbx. In addition you may find projection .prj, and metadata .xml, files associated with shapefiles.
File Decompression Technique:
Data available from this website is in .zip compressed format. WinZip is a Windows based, PKZip-compatible compression utility. You will need a program like this to extract the data. A link to a trial copy WinZip software is available at http://megis.maine.gov/links/.
Digital Transfer Option:

Online Option:

Access Instructions:
These data are available to Internet browsers for download from the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog. Data available from this website is in .zip compressed format. WinZip is a Windows based, PKZip-compatible compression utility. You will need a program like this to extract the data. A link to a trial copy WinZip software is available at http://megis.maine.gov/links/. If you are not already a GIS user, free software for viewing these files is available from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI). See http://megis.maine.gov/links/ for a link to ArcExplorer 9.x .
Digital Transfer Option:

Online Option:

Access Instructions: Where file size and Internet access permit, data requests can be made available via File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

Fees: Data may be downloaded from Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog at no charge.
Turnaround: Data is available for immediate download from the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog.

Standard Order Process:

Distributor:

Contact Information:

Contact Organization Primary:

Contact Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems

Contact Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing address
Address: State House Station 145
City: Augusta
State or Province: ME
Postal Code: 04333-0145
Country: USA

Contact Voice Telephone: (207) 624-7700
Contact Facsimile Telephone: (207) 287-3842
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST

Resource Description: Document of Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Metadata data
Distribution Liability: Users must assume responsibility to determine the usability of this data for their purposes.
Standard Order Process:

Digital Form:

Digital Transfer Information:

Format Name: ARCSDE
Format Version Number: ArcSDE 9.x
Format Information Content: Oracle 9i

Digital Transfer Option:

Online Option:

Access Instructions: Please contact the Maine Office of GIS (MEGIS) for access instructions.

Fees: Access is available through Maine's wide area network; WAN users may contact the Maine Office of Information Technology, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS) for a login.

Metadata Date: 12/27/2005
Metadata Review Date: 9/25/2007
Metadata Future Review Date:
Metadata Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Organization Primary:

Contact Organization: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems

Contact Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing address
Address: State House Station 145
City: Augusta
State or Province: ME
Postal Code: 04333-0145
Country: USA

Contact Voice Telephone: 207 624-7700
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 207 287-4563
Hours of Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST

Metadata Standard Name: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata Standard Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata Access Constraints: None
Metadata Use Constraints: None