For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
CONSERVANCY EASEMENT: A legal agreement made by a property owner to restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on his/her property. This term shall apply to all easements which provide for the protection of natural areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST: An environmental professional with the demonstrated academic training and/or professional experience necessary to thoroughly and accurately assess natural area quality and offer recommendations for management.
MANAGING AGENT: The individual or group responsible for managing an officially designated natural area, as required by this Chapter.
OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED NATURAL AREAS: Land areas officially designated by the Village Board as part of the plat/plan approval process, unoccupied by any structure, other than those used for recreational or agricultural purposes, exhibiting distinctive natural characteristics, existing and created, including, but not limited to, fish and wildlife habitat, native vegetation habitat, water quality enhancement, natural and created flood storage; which shall be permanently devoted to open space use by, but not limited to, conservancy easements and covenants running with the land, including citizens of the Village or a property owners' association comprised of citizens of the Village as beneficiaries of such conservancy easements and covenants, or dedicated for such purposes to a Municipal corporation with authority to so use such land. (Ord. 95-O-680, 1-4-1995)