a. “Agricultural preserve” means a significant mass of reasonably contiguous prime agricultural lands created through the State purchase of development easements to such lands;

b. “Committee” means the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for the Agricultural Preserve Demonstration Program designated pursuant to section 10 of this act;

c. “Departments” means the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture;

d. “Development easement” means an interest in land, less than fee simple absolute title thereto, which interest represents the right to develop such lands for all nonagricultural purposes as determined by the provisions of this act and any relevant rules or regulations promulgated pursuant hereto;

e. “Prime agricultural land” means land having soil classifications of Class I, II or III, according to Soil Conservation class, except that a certain amount of land supportive of cranberry, blueberry or other special agricultural production and woodland immediately supportive of agriculture may be considered as prime agricultural lands for the purposes of this act;

f. “Program” means the Agricultural Preserve Demonstration Program established by this act;

g. “Program area” means the location of the program designated pursuant to section 14 of this act;

h. “Steering committee” means the Steering Committee on the Agricultural Preserve Demonstration Program created pursuant to section 8 of this act.

L.1976, c. 50, s. 4, eff. July 22, 1976.