Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America
- Executive Order Number
- 14422
- President
- Donald Trump
- Signed
- August 27, 2026
- Published
- September 2, 2026
- Source
- Federal Register
- Original Document
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-02/pdf/2026-18020.pdf
AI-Generated Summary
Executive Order 14420: Renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America
Purpose The order establishes the policy of recognizing American contributions to the Great Lakes by renaming the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” It emphasizes U.S. security, investment, and economic use of the lake as justification for the change.
Key actions or directives
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Board on Geographic Names, to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” within 30 days.
- Requires updates to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and removal of all references to “Lake Ontario.”
- Mandates that all federal agencies update maps, contracts, documents, and communications to reflect the new name.
Significant changes to policy or law The order effects an official federal renaming of an international water body through executive directive, exercising authority under 43 U.S.C. §§ 364–364f. It creates a binding requirement for uniform federal nomenclature without congressional legislation.
Potential impacts
- Government agencies: Requires immediate administrative updates across executive departments, including maps and official records.
- Citizens and states: Affects references used by New York and other Great Lakes states in state-federal interactions.
- International relations: Involves a shared border water body with Canada, potentially affecting cross-border coordination on navigation, environmental protection, and commerce.
Main stakeholders affected
- Department of the Interior and Board on Geographic Names
- All federal executive departments and agencies
- State of New York and other Great Lakes states
- U.S. maritime, shipping, and energy sectors
- Canadian provincial and federal authorities (indirectly)
Notable legal, constitutional, or political implications
- Relies on existing statutory authority for geographic naming but applies it unilaterally to an international boundary water.
- Includes standard limitations preserving agency authority, requiring consistency with appropriations, and stating no private right of action is created.
- Raises questions regarding the scope of presidential power over international geographic features without treaty or legislative involvement.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.