(1) "Agency of this state" means any public body as defined in ORS 174.109.

(2) "Department" means the State Department of Agriculture.

(3) "Director" means one of the members of the local governing body of a district elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of ORS 568.210 to 568.808 and 568.900 to 568.933.

(4) "District" means a soil and water conservation district.

(5) "Due notice" means notice published at least twice, with an interval of at least seven days between the two publication dates, in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation within the appropriate area, or if no such publication of general circulation is available, by posting at a reasonable number of conspicuous places within the appropriate area, such posting to include, where possible, posting at public places where it may be customary to post notices concerning county or municipal affairs generally. At any hearing held pursuant to such notice, at the time and place designated in such notice, adjournment may be made from time to time without the necessity of renewing such notice for such adjourned dates.

(6) "Elector" means an individual qualified to vote under section 2, Article II, Oregon Constitution.

(7) "Government" or "governmental" means the government of the United States, and any subdivision, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the government of the United States, and any public body as defined in ORS 174.109.

(8) "Land" or "acres of land" includes land owned by any of the parties enumerated in subsection (10) of this section.

(9) "Land occupier" or "occupiers of land" includes any person who is in possession of any land lying within a district, whether as lessee, renter or tenant.

(10) "Landowner" includes any person or public body as defined in ORS 174.109 shown by records of the county to be the owner of land or having such land under contract to purchase, lying within a district.

(11) "Long-range program" means a long-range plan for the conservation and development of the renewable natural resources of a district.

(12) "Nominating petition" means a petition filed under ORS 568.520 to nominate candidates for director.

(13) "Petition" means a petition filed under ORS 568.300 (1) for the creation of a district.

(14) "State" means the State of Oregon.

(15) "United States" or "agencies of the United States" includes the United States of America, the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, or its successor agency, and any other agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America. [Amended by 1963 c.90 §1; 1969 c.610 §1; 1973 c.656 §1; 1981 c.92 §6; 1981 c.918 §6; 1983 c.83 §105; 1985 c.637 §3; 1997 c.249 §183; 2003 c.802 §144]