GLOSSARY
Agriculture: The commercial
production of plants, crops, animals or livestock useful to humans, including the
activities essential to such production, and the preparation of the products for use or
sale.
Accommodate: The ability of
the community to adapt to the changes that occur,
particularly the ability of the community to meet the needs of the future population.
Aquifer: An underground water
source.
Area of Impact: State law
requires cities to specify an area outside the city limits that it expects to annex or is
part of its trade area. Land use authority for this area is negotiated between the city
and county.
Best Management
Practices: The exercise of judgment and care under the circumstances then
prevailing which people of prudence exercise in the management of their own affairs.
Cluster Development:
A type of subdivision in which houses are grouped or "clustered", rather than
being dispersed evenly on standardized lots, in order to retain larger open areas for
common use, enjoyment and to preserve rural character.
Community: Used
interchangeable to speak of the total planning area (versus the county or city) or an
attitude such as "
a sense of community
" which implies a common
identification on an issue by a group of citizens.
Compatible: The ability of
different uses to exist in reasonable harmony with each other. "Making uses
compatible with each other" implies site development standards that regulate the impact of one use on another.
Comprehensive Plan: A
generalized, coordinated land use map and policy statement of Nez Perce County that interrelates all
functional and natural systems and activities relating to the use of lands.
Conservation: Generally, a
redistribution of rate of use toward the future; that is, reducing rates of current use,
so as to increase amounts of a resource saved for future use.
Cooperate: To work together to
a common end with consensus on the terms of the effort.
Coordinate: To provide leadership with appropriate personnel (county
staff or volunteers) in a cooperative effort.
Cultivated lands: A
classification given to agricultural land which is principally devoted to the raising of
crops other than native vegetation.
Development: Making a
material change in the use or appearance of a structure or land, dividing land into two or
more parcels, creating or terminating a right of access. Where appropriate to the context,
development refers to the act of developing or the result of development.
Diversity: Difference.
Diversity implies the mixture of land uses and/or densities or housing types within a
given area.
Economic Development:
The addition of new economic activity.
Encourage: To assist through
regulations or economic incentives.
Ensure: Take steps to make
reasonably certain something will happen.
Floodplains: Those areas
shown as "Zone A" on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, prepared by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.). These areas would be inundated by a flood having a
one percent (1%) chance of occurring in any given year, also called the "100-year
flood".
Floodway: The channel of a
river of watercourse, and adjacent land areas, which must be kept clear in order to allow
the "100-year flood" to discharge without raising the flood above a designated
level.
Forest Lands: A
classification given to lands that are best suited for the growing of timber.
Goal: A statement of intention
expressing community values and attitudes intended to provide a guide for action by the
community.
Impact: The consequence of a
course of action; the effect of a goal, guideline, plan,
decision or development.
Land Development
Regulations: Generally, all ordinances and other tools (policies) used by the county to regulate land uses.
Livability: Those aspects of
the community perceived by residents that make Nez Perce County a desirable place to live.
Maintain: Support, keep, and
continue in an existing state or condition without decline.
Marginal Lands: Lands,
which, under optimum conditions, return barely enough to cover the costs of agricultural
production.
Mineral Resource Lands:
A classification given to lands containing known, significant amounts of potentially
valuable minerals.
Natural Hazard: A natural
characteristic of the land or combination of characteristics that when developed without
proper safeguards could endanger the public health, safety, or general welfare.
Performance Standards:
A minimum requirement or maximum allowable limit on the effects or characteristics of a
use, usually written in the form of regulatory language.
Planned Unit
Development: A type of development under
which the usual subdivision standards may be modified, when the development is done
pursuant to an approved overall plan, and is consistent with the basic purposes of the
restrictions of the zone in which it is located. Under a P.U.D., it is possible to allow a
mixture of uses, as part of a larger plan to create a pleasing and diverse neighborhood,
or to cluster housing for the purpose of
providing a larger common open space.
Policy: A decision-making
guideline for action to be taken in achieving goals. The
policy is the official position of Nez Perce County related to a given land use issue.
Policies guide action in recurring situations.
Preserve: To prevent loss,
decay or destruction; with regard to a resource, it permits no consumptive use.
Prime Agricultural Land:
Prime farmland, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, is the land
that is best suited to producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. It must be
used either for producing food or fiber or be available for these uses. It has the soil
quality, length of growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce a
sustained high yield of crops when it is managed properly. It has a slope of no more than
6 percent. As used in the Comprehensive Plan,
this term refers to the best agricultural land available in Nez Perce County - Soil
Capability Classifications I and II only.
Protect: Defend or safeguard;
prevent damage, injury or harm.
Provide: To sustain with
funding, technical support, equipment, or coordination of personnel (county staff or
volunteers).
Public Lands: Lands owned
by the local, state, or federal government used for purposes that benefit the public
health, safety, or general welfare.
Public
Facilities and Utilities: Refers to key facilities and to appropriate types and
levels of the following: fire protection, police protection, schools, libraries, sanitary
facilities, storm drainage facilities, government administration services, recreation
facilities, roadway facilities, utility substations, energy and other services deemed
necessary by the community for the enjoyment of urban life.
Range Lands: A
classification given to agricultural land principally suited and used for the pasturing of
livestock on native vegetation.
Residential Area: A
given area of the community in which the vastly predominant character is residential. Uses
that support residential activity such as parks, churches, schools, fire stations, police
substations, and public facilities
may also be permitted. In certain instance, existing lots of record and development
patterns may exceed comprehensive plan
densities.
Review: An inspection or
examination for the purposes of evaluation and the rendering of an opinion of decision.
Review by the county may involve public hearings, formal approval or denial of development proposals, etc., as provided for in
applicable county legislation.
River Corridor Lands:
A classification given to lands adjacent to major stream courses; mainly the side slopes
and valley bottoms.
Sprawl: Process of development spreading out carelessly or awkwardly
without regard to the efficient provision of public services.
Strip Commercial
and Industrial: A development pattern characterized by lots in a continuous manner
fronting on streets and resulting in numerous access points to the street.
Support: To advocate and/or
enhance with funding, personnel, or equipment.