The following words and terms, when used in this title, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. (1) Ecoregion--One of the ecological regions or subregions of Texas, based on the primary vegetational types, as broadly defined by:

   1. (A) Schuster J.L. and S.L. Hatch. 1990. Texas Plants--An Ecological Summary in: Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Texas. S.L. Hatch, K.N. Gandhi, and L.E. Brown. MP-1655. TAES, TAMU, College Station, Texas; or
   2. (B) L.B.J. School of Public Affairs. 1978. Preserving Texas' Natural Heritage. L.B.J. School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; or
   3. (C) Gould, F.W. 1962. Texas Plants--A Checklist and Ecological Summary. MP-585. TAEX Bulletin, TAMU, College Station, Texas. 112pp.
2. (2) Low Impact Public Use--Use or development of a specific site to minimize long term irreversible impact.
3. (3) Management plan--A document that sets forth the framework for resource stewardship, conservation, public use, facility maintenance, operations and public safety for a specific unit (or subunit) of Parks and Wildlife lands.
4. (4) Natural biodiversity--The complement of plants and animals that is expected to occur on an ecological site type, in natural communities or over a landscape.
5. (5) Natural communities--An assemblage of organisms indigenous to an area which is characterized by a distinct combination of species occupying common ecological zones and interacting with one another. An array of plants and animals expected for any given ecological site type.
6. (6) Public Hunting--Hunting by the public of wildlife, including feral and exotic species on departmental controlled lands as authorized by the Commission under the Public Hunting Lands Hunting and Fishing Proclamation.
7. (7) Public Use--Resource oriented recreation or other site appropriate uses, which may include bicycle riding, birdwatching, boating, camping, canoeing, driving and walking nature trails, field trials, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, nature study, photography, rock climbing, swimming, wildlife viewing, or other appropriate activities.
8. (8) Resource Oriented Recreation--Recreational activities the enjoyment of which is dependent upon or enhanced by a natural resource.
9. (9) Sound Biological Management--The use of the best information available to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in setting living resources management goals and determining the techniques to be used in achieving those goals.
10. (10) Sustainability--The capability of natural systems to maintain themselves over time as defined by site specific management goals.
11. (11) Wilderness Type Experience--Recreational activities intended to provide the user the wilderness associated benefits of open space, solitude, and few man-made intrusions, in a natural setting.

Source Note:The provisions of this §59.63 adopted to be effective January 2, 1997, 21 TexReg 12420; amended to be effective April 23, 2001, 26 TexReg 3023.