As used in this Article, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term:

(1)        “Environmental assessment” (EA) means a document prepared by a State agency to evaluate whether the probable impacts of a proposed action require the preparation of an environmental impact statement under this Article.

(2)        “Environmental document” means an environmental assessment, an environmental impact statement, or a finding of no significant impact.

(3)        “Environmental impact statement” (EIS) means the detailed statement described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-4(2).

(4)        “Finding of no significant impact” (FONSI) means a document prepared by a State agency that lists the probable environmental impacts of a proposed action, concludes that a proposed action will not result in a significant adverse effect on the environment, states the specific reason or reasons for such conclusion, and states that an environmental impact statement is not required under this Article.

(5)        “Major development project” shall include but is not limited to shopping centers, subdivisions and other housing developments, and industrial and commercial projects, but shall not include any projects of less than ten contiguous acres in extent.

(6)        “Minimum criteria” means a rule that designates a particular action or class of actions for which the preparation of environmental documents is not required.

(7)        “Public land” means all land and interests therein, title of which is vested in the State of North Carolina, in any State agency, or in the State for the use of any State agency or political subdivision of the State, and includes all vacant and unappropriated land, swampland, submerged land, land acquired by the State by virtue of being sold for taxes or by any other manner of acquisition, or escheated land.

(7a)      “Significant expenditure of public moneys” means expenditures of public funds greater than ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for a single project or action or related group of projects or actions. For purposes of this subdivision, contributions of funds or in-kind contributions by municipalities, counties, regional or special-purpose government agencies, and other similar entities created by an act of the General Assembly and in-kind contributions by a non-State entity shall not be considered an expenditure of public funds for purposes of calculating whether such an expenditure is significant.

(8)        “Special-purpose unit of government” includes any special district or public authority.

(9)        “State agency” includes every department, agency, institution, public authority, board, commission, bureau, division, council, member of Council of State, or officer of the State government of the State of North Carolina, but does not include local governmental units or bodies such as cities, towns, other municipal corporations or political subdivisions of the State, county or city boards of education, other local special-purpose public districts, units or bodies of any kind, or private corporations created by act of the General Assembly, except in those instances where programs, projects and actions of local governmental units or bodies are subject to review, approval or licensing by State agencies in accordance with existing statutory authority, in which case local governmental units or bodies shall supply information which may be required by such State agencies for preparation of any environmental statement required by this Article.

(10)      “State official” means the Director, Commissioner, Secretary, Administrator or Chairman of the State agency having primary statutory authority for specific programs, projects or actions subject to this Article, or his authorized representative.

(11)      “Use of public land” means land-disturbing activity of greater than 10 acres that results in substantial, permanent changes in the natural cover or topography of those lands that includes:

a.         The grant of a lease, easement, or permit authorizing private use of public land; or

b.         The use of privately owned land for any project or program if (i) the State or any agency of the State has agreed to purchase the property or to exchange the property for public land and (ii) the use meets the other requirements of this subdivision. ?(1971, c. 1203, s. 9; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 945, s. 3; 2015-90, s. 2.)