As used in this part:

    (a) “Conservation district” means that term as it is defined in section 9301.

    (b) “Demonstration project” means a forest improvement project designed to illustrate the implementation and impact of alternate forest practices.

    (c) “Commission” means the commission of agriculture and rural development.

    (d) “Department” means the department of agriculture and rural development.

    (e) “Director” means the director of the department or his or her designee.

    (f) “Follow-up work” means forest practices to promote the survival of seeds or seedlings or the protection or enhancement of other work previously undertaken under this part.

    (g) “Forest improvement project” means any of the following:

    (i) Production, processing, handling, storage, marketing, or transportation of forest resources, including sawmills, hardboard mills, power stations, warehouses, air and water pollution control equipment, and solid waste disposal facilities.

    (ii) Forest practice or follow-up work.

    (iii) Study, planning, or other work intended to improve forestlands or forest resources or to demonstrate means of improving forestlands or forest resources.

    (h) “Forest management plan” means that term as it is defined in section 7jj of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7jj[1].

    (i) “Forest practice” means that term as it is defined in section 7jj of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7jj[1].

    (j) “Forest resources” means those products, uses, and values associated with forestland, including recreation and aesthetics, fish, forage, soil, timber, watershed, wilderness, and wildlife.

    (k) “Forestland” means a tract of land that may include nonproductive land that is intermixed with productive land that is an integral part of a managed forest and the owner of which agrees to develop, maintain, and actively manage the land as a private forest through planting, natural reproduction, or other silvicultural practices. Forestland includes land from which forest tree species have been removed and have not been restocked, but does not include land converted to uses other than the growing of forest tree species or land currently zoned for uses incompatible with forest practices.

    (l) “Fund” means the private forestland enhancement fund created in section 51305.

    (m) “Harvest” means that term as it is defined in section 7jj of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7jj[1].

    (n) “Landowner” means a person who holds an ownership interest in nonindustrial private forestland.

    (o) “Nonindustrial private forestland” means a privately owned tract of land consisting of 20 or more acres, or the timber rights in the land if the timber rights have been severed, that has the productive capacity to grow on average not less than 20 cubic feet per acre per year and that meets either of the following conditions:

    (i) For a tract of land that contains less than 40 acres, at least 80% of the land is occupied by forest tree species.

    (ii) For a tract of land that contains 40 or more acres, at least 50% of the land is occupied by forest tree species.

    (p) “Qualified forester” means that term as it is defined in section 7jj of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7jj[1].

    (q) “Technical assistance” means direct on-site assistance provided to individuals.

    (r) “Timber” means wood growth, mature or immature, growing or dead, standing or down. Timber does not include any of the following:

    (i) Christmas trees and associated greens.

    (ii) Material harvested from an individual’s own land and used on that land for the construction of fences or buildings or for other personal use.

    (s) “Timber owner” means a person who holds an ownership interest in species of forest trees on forestland. An ownership interest includes a license or other right to harvest timber on state lands.