As used in the Conservation District Act: 1. "District" or "conservation district" means a governmental subdivision of this state, and a public body corporate and politic, organized in accordance with the provisions of the Conservation District Act, for the purposes, with the powers, and subject to the restrictions hereinafter set forth; 2. "Director" means a member of the governing body of a conservation district, elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Conservation District Act; 3. "Commission" means the Oklahoma Conservation Commission; 4. "State" means the State of Oklahoma; 5. "Agency of this state" includes the government of this state and any subdivision, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the government of this state; 6. "United States" or "agencies of the United States" includes the United States of America, and any department, agency or instrumentality of the federal government; 7. "Government" or "governmental" includes the government of this state, the government of the United States, and any subdivision, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them; 8. "Due notice" which shall be in conformance with the Administrative Procedures Act means notice published at least twice, with an interval of at least seven (7) days between the two publication dates, in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation within the district, or, if no such publication of general circulation is available, by posting at five conspicuous places within the district, such posting to include, where possible, posting at public places where it may be customary to post notices concerning county or municipal affairs generally. At any hearing held pursuant to such notice, at the time and place designated in such notice, adjournment may be made from time to time without the necessity of renewing such notice for such adjourned dates; 9. "District cooperator" means any person that has entered into a cooperative agreement with a conservation district for the purpose of protecting, conserving and practicing wise use of the renewable natural resources under his or her control; 10. "Renewable natural resources", "natural resources" or "resources" include land, soil, water, vegetation, trees, natural beauty, scenery and open space; 11. "Conservation" includes conservation, development, improvement, maintenance, preservation, protection and wise use of land, water and related natural resources; the control and prevention of floodwater and sediment damages; and the disposal of excess surface waters; 12. "Cost-Share program" means the assumption by the state of a proportional share of the cost of installing conservation structures, conservation practices or best management practices on lands for public and environmental benefits; 13. "Best management practices" means a control method or combination of control methods that is determined to be the most effective and practicable means of preventing soil loss from erosion or reducing the amount of nonpoint source pollution from a given land use; 14. "Nonpoint source" shall have the same meaning as such word is defined by the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act; 15. "Pollution" shall have the same meaning as such word is defined by the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act; 16. "Nonpoint source working group" means an advisory group established by the Conservation Commission to provide input into the state's nonpoint source management and assessment program and is open to federal, state and local environmental agencies and natural resource agencies and other interested groups; 17. "Watershed" means an area of land that drains to a given point; 18. "Blue Thumb Program" means a nonpoint source educational program emphasizing water quality education, including volunteer monitoring; 19. "Soil science" means the science which: a. is the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes taking place in both naturally occurring and reconstructed unconsolidated material formed by the alteration of parent rock due to exposure at the earth's surface, and b. includes sampling, measuring, identification, characterization, classification, and mapping of soil materials and migration of water solute, air and other gaseous components in the unsaturated portion of the earth; and 20. "Soil scientist" means a person who: a. has earned a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field of soil science from an institution of higher education which is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency, with a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours or forty-five (45) quarter hours of undergraduate work in a field of biological, physical, or earth science with a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of core soil science courses, and b. has a specific and continuous record of related and verifiable soil science work experience for two (2) years. Publications in a soil science publication or prior qualifications as an expert witness in administrative or judicial proceeding, hearing or trial shall be prima facie verification of experience related to soil science. Added by Laws 1971, c. 346, § 15-103, operative July 1, 1971. Amended by Laws 1981, c. 170, § 1, emerg. eff. May 13, 1981; Laws 1993, c. 145, § 206, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from Title 82, § 1501-103 by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 217, § 4, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 5, § 12, emerg. eff. March 4, 1998; Laws 1998, c. 271, § 1, eff. July 1, 1998.
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