§ 113A-9. Definitions.
§ 113A‑9. Definitions.
As used in this Article, unless the context indicates otherwise, theterm:
(1) "Environmental assessment" (EA) means a documentprepared by a State agency to evaluate whether the probable impacts of aproposed action require the preparation of an environmental impact statementunder this Article.
(2) "Environmental document" means an environmentalassessment, an environmental impact statement, or a finding of no significantimpact.
(3) "Environmental impact statement" (EIS) means thedetailed statement described in G.S. 113A‑4(2).
(4) "Finding of no significant impact" (FONSI) means adocument prepared by a State agency that lists the probable environmentalimpacts of a proposed action, concludes that a proposed action will not resultin a significant adverse effect on the environment, states the specific reasonor reasons for such conclusion, and states that an environmental impactstatement is not required under this Article.
(5) "Major development project" shall include but isnot limited to shopping centers, subdivisions and other housing developments,and industrial and commercial projects, but shall not include any projects ofless than two contiguous acres in extent.
(6) "Minimum criteria" means a rule that designates aparticular action or class of actions for which the preparation ofenvironmental documents is not required.
(7) "Public land" means all land and intereststherein, title of which is vested in the State of North Carolina, in any Stateagency, or in the State for the use of any State agency or politicalsubdivision of the State, and includes all vacant and unappropriated land,swampland, submerged land, land acquired by the State by virtue of being soldfor taxes, escheated land, and acquired land.
(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 ofNorth Carolina, but does not include local governmental units or bodies such ascities, towns, other municipal corporations or political subdivisions of theState, county or city boards of education, other local special‑purpose publicdistricts, units or bodies of any kind, or private corporations created by actof the General Assembly, except in those instances where programs, projects andactions of local governmental units or bodies are subject to review, approvalor licensing by State agencies in accordance with existing statutory authority,in which case local governmental units or bodies shall supply information whichmay be required by such State agencies for preparation of any environmentalstatement required by this Article.
(10) "State official" means the Director, Commissioner,Secretary, Administrator or Chairman of the State agency having primarystatutory authority for specific programs, projects or actions subject to thisArticle, or his authorized representative.
(11) "Use of public land" means activity that results inchanges in the natural cover or topography that includes:
a. The grant of a lease, easement, or permit authorizingprivate use of public land; or
b. The use of privately owned land for any project or programif the State or any agency of the State has agreed to purchase the property orto exchange the property for public land. (1971, c. 1203, s. 9; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 945, s. 3.)