Geographic Names (GNIS) Are Updated
A new version of the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) layer is available. Please click here for a description of the layer and link to the shapefile.
The primary change since the last update, which occurred in February, is that approximately 600 features associated with facilities managed by Montana Fish, Widlife, and Parks (State Parks, Widlife Management Areas, Fishing Access Sites, and campgrounds) have been updated to standardize their names and correct their locations. 155 of these are features not currently available in the federal GNIS database.
The copy of the layer available through our GIS Data Bundler and used for place name searches in the Topofinder and Digital Atlas has also been updated.
The layer is based on the 8/1/2012 version of the federal GNIS, which includes many updates to hydrographic features that were made as part of the National Hydrography Dataset update and review process.