Has your boundary changed in the past year? Then let the NEGRC know! The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) annually to collect information about selected legally defined geographic areas. The survey allows for counties and municipalities to update information about the legal boundaries and names of all governmental units in the United States. Boundary updates complete the Census Bureau’s geographic framework for data collection, tabulation, and dissemination. In addition, they are vital to the success of the 2020 Census, the American Community Survey (ACS), Population Estimates Program (PEP), and many other Census-produced datasets. The federal government allocates more than $675 billion in federal funds annually for health, welfare, infrastructure, education, and other federal programs and services. Responding to the BAS ensures that your local government receives the funds for which it is entitled and has the best data available for its decision-making processes.
The U.S. Census Bureau mailed and emailed an annual response letter to all federally recognized tribes with a reservation or off-reservation trust land, counties (and equivalent areas), incorporated places, and minor civil divisions (MCDs) in January 2020. The Census Bureau must receive responses to the 2020 BAS before March 1, 2020 to be included in the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Population Estimates Program (PEP). If you need assistance with BAS, please contact Mark Beatty, Director of Planning and Government Services, at mbeatty@negrc.org or 706-369-5650.
