The following definitions shall apply to the words and terms used in this chapter.
AGGRIEVED PERSON. Any landowner whose property is within a wetlands drainage basin who may reasonably assume that proposed activity within the wetlands would affect the quantity or quality of water on the landowner's property.
AQUATIC LIFE. Vertebrates or invertebrates that are dependent on wetlands for some vital portion of their life cycle including any of the following: breeding, spawning, nesting, rearing of young, feeding and resting or protection.
DEPOSIT. To fill, place or dump.
FILL MATERIAL. Soil, rocks, sand, pilings, waste of any kind or any other material that displaces soil or water, reduces water retention potential or reduces wetland vegetation growth.
LOT. A designated parcel, tract, building site or other interest in land established by plat, subdivision, conveyance, condominium master deed, or as otherwise permitted by law, to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.
MINOR DRAINAGE. Ditching and tiling for the removal of excess soil moisture incidental to the planting, cultivating, protecting or harvesting of crops or improving the productivity of land in established use for agriculture, horticulture, silviculture or lumbering.
(1) Methods for eliminating or reducing potential impact to regulated wetlands; or
(2) Creation of new wetlands of the same or similar function to offset unavoidable loss of existing wetlands.
PERSON. An individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, municipality, this state, an instrumentality or agency of this state, the federal government, or an instrumentality or agency of the federal government, or other legal entity.
PLANNER or TOWNSHIP PLANNER. The staff planner or consulting planner designated by the Township Board to advise the township administration, Township Board and Planning Commission on items such as planning, zoning, land use, subdivision, housing and other related planning and development issues.
REGULATED WETLAND. Wetlands regulated by Williamstown Township under this chapter or by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
REMOVE. To dig, dredge, suck, pump, bulldoze, drag line or blast.
RESTORATION. Action taken to return a wetland from a disturbed or totally altered condition to a previously existing natural or unaltered condition.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed, erected, or assembled of materials above or below the surface of the land or water, including, but not limited to, buildings, bulkheads, piers, docks, landings, dams, waterway obstructions, paving and roads, poles, towers, cables, pipelines, drainage tiles and other underground installations.
TOWNSHIP BOARD. The Supervisor, Clerk, Treasurer and Trustees, who together serve as the legislative body of Williamstown Township, Ingham County, Michigan.
TOWNSHIP WETLANDS CONSULTANT. The person or firm designated by the Township Board to advise the Township administration, Township Board and Planning Commission on matters related to implementing this chapter.
TOWNSHIP WETLAND INVENTORY MAP. The Williamstown Township Wetland Inventory Map created to comply with Part 303 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. The Township Wetland Inventory Map is based on the National Wetland Inventory Map of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Michigan Resource Information System Mapping (MIRIS), aerial photography and on-site inspections. The TOWNSHIP WETLAND INVENTORY MAP may be referred to herein as INVENTORY MAP.
WETLAND. Land characterized by the presence of water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, wetland vegetation or aquatic life and is commonly referred to as a bog, swamp or marsh and is any of the following:
(1) Contiguous to an inland lake or pond, or a river or stream; and/or
(2) Not contiguous to an inland lake or pond, or a river or stream and is two acres or greater in size.
WETLAND VEGETATION. Plants that, under normal conditions, exhibit adaptations to allow germination and growth with at least their root systems in water or in saturated soils.
