Federal Register/Vol. 83, No. 32/Thursday, February 15, 2018
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6932 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2018 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE states 1 where minor civil divisions A. General Principles (MCDs) either do not exist or have been 1. The primary goal of the CCD Bureau of the Census unsatisfactory for reporting census data. program is to establish and maintain a The Census Bureau’s CCD program set of subcounty units that have stable 2 [Docket Number 171002955–7972–01] maintains a set of subcounty units that boundaries and recognizable names. have stable boundaries and recognizable The boundaries of CCDs usually Census County Divisions (CCDs) and names. Equivalent Entities for the 2020 coincide with visible features or stable, Census—Proposed Criteria Before CCDs were introduced with the significant legal boundaries, such as the 1950 Census, few alternatives were boundary of an American Indian AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, available for the provision of statistical reservation (AIR), federally managed Commerce. data related to relatively stable, land, or conjoint incorporated places. ACTION: Notice of proposed program and subcounty geographic units. Census CCDs have no legal status as statistical request for comments. tracts were defined in only a subset of geographic entities and are defined only metropolitan area counties. MCDs for the tabulation and presentation of SUMMARY: The Census Bureau is existed in all counties, but in some statistical data. publishing this notice in the Federal states MCD boundaries changed 2. A CCD usually represents a single Register to request comments from the frequently enough that they were not contiguous area consisting of one or public and other government agencies useful for comparing statistical data more communities, economic centers, on the general guidelines and criteria for from one decade to another. or, in some instances, major land uses identifying Census county divisions that are relatively compact in shape. For much of the period from the 1950 (CCDs). The Census Bureau will 3. A CCD shall have a relationship to Census through the 1980 Census, county respond to comments received in the existing census tracts, either subdivisions (MCDs and CCDs) Federal Register notice announcing the encompassing one or more census tracts final CCD criteria. After the final criteria provided the only subcounty unit of or having two or more CCDs nest within are published in the Federal Register, geography at which data users could a single census tract. The boundaries of the Census Bureau will offer designated obtain statistical data for all counties a CCD, or combination of nested CCDs, governments or organizations an nationwide. The introduction of block align with census tract boundaries. Note opportunity to review and, if necessary, numbering areas (BNAs) in counties that a county with a population less suggest updates to the boundaries and without census tracts for the 1990 than the optimum population for a attributes of CCDs in their geographic Census offered an alternate subcounty census tract (less than 4,000 people) area under the Participant Statistical entity for which data could be tabulated. may contain more CCDs than census Areas Program (PSAP). In separate For the 2000 Census, the Census Bureau tracts. For example, McCone County, Federal Register notices, the PSAP introduced census tracts nationwide (in Montana, which has a 2016 estimated program is seeking comment on the many counties, BNAs were simply population of 1,734, contains only one review and update of census tracts, relabeled as ‘‘census tracts’’), increasing census tract, but is divided into two block groups, and census designated the dissemination of, and ability to CCDs. places (CDPs). analyze, data at the census tract level 4. Since the 1950s, the Census Bureau and providing an alternative set of DATES: Written comments must be has worked with state and local officials subcounty statistical geographic areas in submitted on or before May 16, 2018. to replace MCDs with CCDs for the each county in addition to MCDs and collection, presentation, and analysis of ADDRESSES: Please direct all written CCDs. comments on this proposed program to Census Bureau data particularly in Vincent Osier, Geographic Standards, II. General Principles and Criteria for states in which MCDs do not provide Criteria, and Quality Branch, Geography CCDs for the 2020 Census governmental services and functions Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Room and in which MCD boundaries tend to 4H173, 4600 Silver Hill Road, The proposed criteria outlined herein change between decennial censuses. As 3 Washington, DC 20233–7400. Email: apply to the United States, Puerto Rico, of the 2020 Census, CCDs were defined 4 [email protected]. Phone: 301– and the Island Areas. in 21 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 763–3056 (PSAP Hotline). California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, 1 Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: In Alaska, census subareas are county subdivisions equivalent to CCDs. For purposes of Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Requests for additional information on this notice, the term CCD also refers to census Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, this proposed program should be subareas in Alaska. Texas, Utah, Washington, and 2 For the Census Bureau’s purposes, the term directed to Vincent Osier, Geographic Wyoming. North Dakota adopted CCDs Standards, Criteria, and Quality Branch, ‘‘county’’ includes parishes in Louisiana; boroughs, cities, municipalities, and census areas in Alaska; for use in tabulating and presenting data Geography Division, U.S. Census independent cities in Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, from the 1970 Census. Following the Bureau, Room 4H173, 4600 Silver Hill and Virginia; districts and islands in American 1970 Census, North Dakota requested Samoa; districts in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Road, Washington, DC 20233–7400. that the Census Bureau again use MCDs Email: [email protected]. Phone: municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; municipios in Puerto to tabulate and present statistical data. 301–763–3056 (PSAP hotline). Rico; and the areas constituting the District of For the 2010 Census, Tennessee SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Columbia and Guam. These entities collectively are requested that the Census Bureau referred to as ‘‘counties’’ in this notice. I. History 3 For Census Bureau purposes, the United States replace its CCDs with county typically refers to only the fifty states and the commissioner districts, a type of legal, Census county divisions (CCDs) and District of Columbia, and does not include the U.S. administrative MCD. equivalent entities are statistical territories (Puerto Rico, the Island Areas, and the geographic entities established U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. B. Criteria cooperatively by the Bureau of the 4 The Island Areas include the U.S. territories American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the CCDs must (1) have community Census (Census Bureau) and officials of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. orientation, (2) have visible and/or state and local governments in 21 Virgin Islands. stable boundaries, (3) conform to census VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:18 Feb 14, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\15FEN2.SGM 15FEN2 sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES2 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2018 / Notices 6933 tract boundaries, and (4) have streams, or fence lines. The Census Rainier, Washington) or a distinctive recognizable names. Bureau may also accept, on a case-by- region within the county (e.g., Death case basis, the boundaries of selected Valley, California; Everglades or Lower 1. Community Orientation nonstandard and potentially nonvisible Keys, Florida); and, Each CCD should center on one or features, such as the boundaries of f. If there is no clear cultural focus or more places and encompass additional cemeteries, golf courses, glaciers, or the topographic name that can be applied, surrounding territory that forms a straight-line extensions of visible a CCD name shall consist of the county cohesive community area. The features and other lines-of-sight. name and a compass direction to definition of community should take indicate the portion of the county in the into account production, marketing, 3. Census Tract Boundaries and CCD or a place name and a compass consumption, and local institutions. Population Size direction to give the CCD location The locality on which a CCD is Whenever possible, a CCD should relative to the place. The directional centered usually is an incorporated encompass one or more contiguous indicator precedes a county name (e.g., place or an unincorporated community, census tracts or multiple CCDs should Northeast Cobb, Georgia). If a place which might be identified as a CDP. In constitute a single census tract. name is used, the directional indicator some cases, the CCD may center on a Therefore, CCD boundaries should be follows it (e.g., Del Rio Northwest, major area of significantly different consistent with census tract boundaries. Texas). topography, land use, or ownership, Population size is not as important a In all cases, the objective is to clearly such as a large military installation or consideration with CCDs as it is with identify the extent of the CCD by means AIR. A CCD should always comprise a census tracts. For CCDs that do not meet of an area name since CCD names reasonably compact, continuous land the thresholds for a census tract, the should always should be meaningful to area, generally with road access to all Census Bureau encourages creating one data users. Any name used as a CCD areas within the CCD. or more block groups within a census name must also be recognized by the tract that encompass a CCD. Board on Geographic Names for federal 2. Visible and/or Stable Boundaries Historically, CCDs have ranged from a use and appear in the Geographic To make the location of CCD few hundred people (in selected Names Information System maintained boundaries less ambiguous, the situations) to more than one million by the U.S.