Part 601 Geological Survey
Part 603 Soil and Economic Survey
Part 605 Aerial Photos, Surveys, and Maps
Part 607 State Soil Survey
Part 609 Resource Inventory

Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 324 > Act 451 of 1994 > Article III > Chapter 3 > Subchapter 1 - Geological Survey Division

  • Accuser: means a person who signs and swears to charges, a person who directs that charges be signed and sworn to by another, or a person who has an interest other than an official interest in the prosecution of the accused. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
  • Biological diversity: means the full range of variety and variability within and among living organisms and the natural associations in which they occur. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • citation: means a complaint or notice upon which a police officer shall record an occurrence involving 1 or more vehicle law violations by the person cited. See Michigan Laws 257.727c
  • Classification system: means a mechanism to identify the current use of land and any structures on the land. See Michigan Laws 324.60901
  • Commanding officer: includes only a commissioned officer. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Commission: means the commission of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Committee: means the joint legislative working committee on biological diversity created pursuant to section 35504. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
  • Confinement: means the physical restraint of a person. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Contractor: means the private entity, nonprofit entity, or academic institution selected by the department under section 5 to evaluate certain economic development incentives. See Michigan Laws 18.1753
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Data management system: means a mechanism which relies on a computer to manipulate, store, and retrieve information collected and updated during a resource inventory. See Michigan Laws 324.60901
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Department: means the department of environmental quality. See Michigan Laws 324.35301
  • Department: means the department of technology, management, and budget. See Michigan Laws 18.1753
  • Department: means the director of the department of natural resources or his or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
  • Director: means the director of the department of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Economic development incentive: means the abatements, tax credits, exemptions, grants, loans, or loan guarantees related to economic development activities in this state as determined by the Michigan strategic fund provided under the following acts:
  (i) The Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208. See Michigan Laws 18.1753
  • Ecosystem: means an assemblage of species, together with the species' physical environment, considered as a unit. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
  • Genetic diversity: means the differences in genetic composition within and among populations of a given species. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • Governing institution: means the state university within which the Michigan geological survey is established or continued under section 60102. See Michigan Laws 324.60101
  • Grade: means a step or degree, in a graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and designated as a grade by law or rule. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Habitat: means the area or type of environment in which an organism or biological population normally lives or occurs. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q
  • Inventory: means the land resource and current use inventory. See Michigan Laws 324.60901
  • Judge advocate: means an officer who is designated as a judge advocate by the state judge advocate general. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
  • Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • local unit: means a municipality or county. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Local unit of government: means a city, village, township, or county, a municipal electric utility system as defined in section 4 of the Michigan energy employment act of 1976, 1976 PA 448, MCL 460. See Michigan Laws 15.562
  • Local unit of government: means a county, city, village, or township. See Michigan Laws 18.1701
  • Medical benefit plan: means a plan established and maintained by a carrier, a voluntary employees' beneficiary association described in section 501(c)(9) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 501, or by 1 or more public employers, that provides for the payment of medical benefits, including, but not limited to, hospital and physician services, prescription drugs, and related benefits, for public employees or elected public officials. See Michigan Laws 15.562
  • Medical benefit plan coverage year: means the 12-month period after the effective date of the contractual or self-insured medical coverage plan that a public employer provides to its employees or public officials. See Michigan Laws 15.562
  • Michigan register: means the publication described in section 8. See Michigan Laws 24.205
  • Military: includes each armed force of the United States and each component of the state military establishment. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Military court: means a court-martial, a court of inquiry, or the military appeals tribunal. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Military judge: means a judge advocate designated as a military judge by the state judge advocate general or an official of a general or special court-martial appointed pursuant to section 26. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Model zoning plan: means the model zoning plan provided for in section 35304 to 35309 and 35311a to 35324. See Michigan Laws 324.35301
  • Municipality: means a city, village, or township. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • oath: shall be construed to include the word "affirmation" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath; and in like cases the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed". See Michigan Laws 8.3k
  • Office: means , unless expressly stated otherwise, the office of performance and transformation. See Michigan Laws 24.205
  • Officer: means a commissioned or warrant officer. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.301
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Pretrial conference: A meeting of the judge and lawyers to discuss which matters should be presented to the jury, to review evidence and witnesses, to set a timetable, and to discuss the settlement of the case.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Public employer: means this state; a local unit of government or other political subdivision of this state; any intergovernmental, metropolitan, or local department, agency, or authority, or other local political subdivision; a school district, a public school academy, or an intermediate school district, as those terms are defined in section 4 to 6 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380. See Michigan Laws 15.562
  • Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
  • Regional planning commission: means a regional planning commission designated by the governor pursuant to executive directive to carry out planning in a multicounty region of the state. See Michigan Laws 324.60901
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • seal: shall be construed to include any of the following:
    •   (a) The impression of the seal on the paper alone. See Michigan Laws 8.3n
  • shall not apply: means that the pertinent provision is not operative as to certain persons or things or in conjunction with a particular date or dates. See Michigan Laws 8.4c
  • Soil scientist: means a person who meets the qualification standards of the GS-470 soil scientist series established by the United States civil service commission. See Michigan Laws 324.60701
  • Soil survey: means the identification and description of kinds of soil, the plotting of boundaries on aerial photographs between kinds of soils, and the description and evaluation of their importance and response under various uses and management practices. See Michigan Laws 324.60701
  • Species diversity: means the richness and variety of native species. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • Staff judge advocate: means the commissioned officer responsible for supervising the administration of military justice within a command. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • State agency: means a state department, board, commission, office, agency, institution, or other unit of state government. See Michigan Laws 18.1701
  • State geologist: means the chief of the office of oil, gas, and minerals, or a successor office, of the department of environmental quality. See Michigan Laws 324.60101
  • State judge advocate general: means the commissioned officer responsible for supervising the administration of the military justice in the state military forces. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • State military forces: means the national guard of the state, as defined in 32 USC 101(3), and any other military force organized under the laws of the state. See Michigan Laws 32.1002
  • State strategy: means the recommended state strategy prepared by the committee. See Michigan Laws 324.35501
  • State university: means a state university described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the state constitution of 1963. See Michigan Laws 324.60101
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • strategic fund: means the fund under the Michigan strategic fund act, 1984 PA 270, MCL 125. See Michigan Laws 18.1753
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Technical assistance: means the aid that the department shall provide to municipalities, counties, and other interested groups and individuals, on the use of the land resource and current use inventory and related information for planning and resource management decisions. See Michigan Laws 324.60901
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
  • Zoning ordinance: means an ordinance of a local unit of government that regulates the development of critical dune areas within the local unit of government pursuant to the requirements of this part. See Michigan Laws 324.35301