Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 29 Sec. 402

  • Board: means the Natural Resources Board. See
  • 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.
  • Department: means the Department of Environmental Conservation. See
  • 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.
  • Municipality: shall include a city, town, town school district, incorporated school or fire district or incorporated village, and all other governmental incorporated units. See
  • navigable waters: means those waters as defined in 10 V. See
  • 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.
  • Public waters: means navigable waters excepting those waters in private ponds and private preserves as set forth in 10 V. See
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See

§ 402. Definitions

Whenever used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

(1) “Board” means the Natural Resources Board.

(2) “Department” means the Department of Environmental Conservation.

(3) “Encroach” means to place or cause to be placed any material or structure in any lakes and ponds that are public waters or to alter, or cause to be altered, the lands underlying any waters, or to place or cause to be placed any bridge, dock, boathouse, cable, pipeline, or similar structure beyond the shoreline as established by the mean water level of any lakes and ponds that are public waters under the jurisdiction of the Board.

(4) “Navigable water” or “navigable waters” means those waters as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 1422(4).

(5) “Person” means any individual; partnership; company; corporation; association; joint venture; trust; municipality; the State of Vermont or any agency, department, or subdivision of the State; any federal agency; or any other legal or commercial entity.

(6) “Public good” means that which shall be for the greatest benefit of the people of the State of Vermont.

(7) “Public waters” means navigable waters excepting those waters in private ponds and private preserves as set forth in 10 V.S.A. § 1442. (Added 1967, No. 308 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 22, 1968; amended 1975, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 15, 1976; 1981, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 41; 1987, No. 76, § 18; 2003, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 111, eff. Jan. 31, 2005; 2011, No. 138 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. May 14, 2012; 2023, No. 79, § 3, eff. July 1, 2023.)