A Pennsylvania lawmaker is urging Trump to rename Lake Erie “Lake Pennsylvania,” citing the state’s ties to the Great Lake.
A Pennsylvania Republican lawmaker is calling on President Donald Trump to rename Lake Erie “Lake Pennsylvania,” arguing that the Great Lake has become an important part of the state’s economy, recreation and identity.
State Rep. David Maloney is preparing a resolution urging Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and members of Congress to take steps toward renaming Lake Erie, according to the proposal reported by Fox News.
“This is Pennsylvania’s only Great Lake,” Maloney said, arguing that the state’s modern economy and identity are increasingly connected to the lake through boating, fishing, tourism and family recreation.
“Pennsylvania has one. Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania!” the Republican lawmaker added.
Why Maloney wants the name changed
Maloney’s proposal comes as the Trump administration continues its push to change the names of major geographic features.
The president signed an executive order last month directing the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The move followed Trump’s earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Maloney’s proposal appears to follow that precedent, while making the case that Pennsylvania deserves greater recognition for its connection to Lake Erie.
Lake Erie is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by volume and is also the shallowest, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Its watershed is home to approximately 12 million people in the United States and Canada.
Trump’s Lake Ontario renaming sparked controversy
Trump’s Lake Ontario decision has faced resistance from Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected the U.S. government’s new name, saying Canada will continue to recognize the body of water as Lake Ontario.
The federal renaming applies to the U.S. government and does not legally require Canada, international organizations or individual U.S. states to adopt the new terminology.
However, major mapping services, including Apple Maps and Google Maps, have adopted “Lake America” for users in the United States following the federal action.
Lake Erie would face a different challenge
Unlike Lake Ontario, Lake Erie borders four U.S. states—Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Michigan—and also extends into Canada.
That means a federal move to rename the lake would not necessarily result in universal adoption of “Lake Pennsylvania.”
For now, Lake Erie remains the lake’s official and widely recognized name, and Maloney’s proposal is still at the stage of seeking legislative support.
The Pennsylvania lawmaker’s proposal nevertheless adds another unusual chapter to the Trump administration’s broader campaign to change geographic names, while raising questions about history, federal authority and who gets to decide what major landmarks are called.
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