Terms Used In New York Laws > Environmental Conservation > Article 52 > Title 1 - General Provisions

• 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.
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environmental conservation except that within and for the purposes of title nine of this article, the term shall mean the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Cost: means the cost of an approved project, which shall include engineering and architectural services, plans and specifications, consultant and legal services, and other direct expenses incident to such project less any federal assistance received or to be received and any other assistance from responsible parties or otherwise. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Department: means the department of environmental conservation. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Exceptional forest character: means forest possessed of such attributes as maturity of growth, scientific harvesting potential, aesthetic appeal or recreational opportunity. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Exceptional scenic beauty: means land forms, water bodies, geologic formations and vegetation which possess significant scenic qualities or significantly contribute to scenic values. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Federal assistance: shall mean funds available, other than by loan, from the federal government, either directly or through allocation by the state for construction or program purposes pursuant to any federal law or program. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Governing body: means
  
  (a) in the case of a town, a town board;
  
  (b) in the case of a county outside of the city of New York, the county board of supervisors or other elective governing body;
  
  (c) in the case of a city or village, the local legislative body thereof, as the term is defined in the municipal home rule law;
  
  (d) in the case of a public benefit corporation, the board of directors, members or trustees thereof;
  
  (e) in the case of a school district, the board of education thereof;
  
  (f) in the case of a supervisory district, the board of cooperative educational services thereof. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Historic preservation project: means :
  
  (a) State historic preservation projects. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Landfill: means a disposal facility or part of one at which solid waste, or its residue after treatment, is intentionally placed in or on land, at which solid waste will remain after closure, and which is not a landspreading facility, a surface impoundment, or an injection well. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Municipality: except as otherwise defined within this article, means a city, county, town, village, public benefit corporation or school district or an improvement district within a city, county, town or village, or Indian tribe residing within New York state, or any combination thereof. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Not-for-profit corporation: means a corporation formed pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation law and qualified for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Office: means the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Open space: means open or natural land in or near urban or suburban areas necessary to serve the scenic or recreation needs thereof. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Pine barrens: means a natural community of such biota as pitch pine, jack pine, and scrub oak which may be found associated with a variety of natural resources. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Public access: means access to lands for public use, including stream rights and waterways. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Trailways: means recreational trails developed under guidelines established for the development of a statewide trails system. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Unique character: means lands of special natural beauty, wilderness character, geological, ecological or historical significance suitable for the state nature and historic preserve and similar lands within a forest preserve county outside the Adirondack and Catskill parks. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Wetlands: means freshwater wetlands as defined in article twenty-four of this chapter and tidal wetlands as defined in article twenty-five of this chapter. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101
• Wildlife habitat: means specific areas essential for the conservation of threatened and endangered species which require special management considerations or protection for maintenance of such species. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 52-0101