Glossary
Management Agreement
- An contract between a landowner and land trust which defines how a property's natural resources will be managed. [Source: Glossary of Land Conservation Terms and Techniques, Triangle Land Conservancy: http://www.tlc-nc.org/landowner/glossary.shtml]
Marcellus Shale
- The Marcellus Shale, also known as the Devonian Marcellus formation, was formed approximately 380 million years ago during the middle Devonian age. The organic material decayed, forming methane and other natural gases. About 300 million years ago, the pressure of the gas caused fractures to form in the shale. These fractures run from the northeast to the southwest. According to research done by Dr. Terry Engelder of Penn State University, there are an estimated 489 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas in the shale, enough to meet U.S. demand for about 19 years. About 75-80% of this recoverable gas is located in Pennsylvania. [Source: geology.com and pamarcellus.com]
Maximum Sustainable Yield
- The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested over an indefinite period without causing its stock to be depleted. [Source: Organisation for Economic and Co-Operation Develoipment, Sustainable Development's Glossary: http://www.oecd.org]
merger
- A merger is an integration that includes the integration of all programmatic and administrative functions to increase the administrative efficiency and program quality of one or more organizations. Mergers occur when one or more organizations dissolve and become part of another organization’s structure. The surviving organization may keep or change its name. A merger also occurs when two or more organizations dissolve and establish a new structure that includes some or all of the resources and programs of the original organizations. [La Piana Consultants, Inc. “Types of Strategic Restructuring”. Retrieved from http://www.lapiana.org/Strategic-Restructuring/FAQs/Types-of-Strategic-Restructuring.]
Metes and Bounds
- The boundaries of a property described by bearings (compass directions) and distances measured between clearly identified points on the land. [Source: West Virginia LandTrust, Frequently Used Terms: http://www.wvlandtrust.org]
Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor
- The 2005 Energy Policy Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs), areas in which the federal government can fast-track requests for use of eminent domain and construction of high-voltage, interstate transmission lines. An NIETC is designated by the DOE in response to a request from an entity such as a power company or a regional transmission operator. On October 2, 2007, the DOE issued an order for the designation of the Mid-Atlantic NIETC. The Mid-Atlantic NIETC covers the entire states of New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia and Maryland; 52 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, as well as much of New York and Virginia. For more information, see www.conserveland.org.
Minimum Tillage
- Raising crops with small amounts of soil disturbance. Most of the residue from the previous crop is left on the surface. [source: http://www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov]
Mirror Image Rule
- Refers to a contract law principle that the acceptance must match the offer to form a contract. A reply purporting to be an acceptance which does not reflect the terms of the offer constitutes a rejection and counter-offer.
Mixed Use Development
- A development that contains at least three different uses, including residential. Mixed uses development integrates the concept that a community is a place for people to live, work, shop and walk. Stores, homes, offices and public transportation are pedestrian oriented. [source: Pennsylvania Land Choices, An Educational Guide, Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources in partnership with Pennsylvania Land Trust Association]
Monitoring
- The process by which the holder of a conservation easement regularly conducts property inspections to ensure that the conditions of the easement are being upheld. These inspections are often conducted on an annual basis. [http://attra.ncat.org]
Monitoring Report
- Documentation of the results a monitoring of a conservation easement. Land trusts should keep their reports in a permanent file.
Multi-Municipal Planning
- If 2 or more communities cooperatively plan some aspects of land use they may develop and adopt a multi-municipal plan. This practice allows cooperation among communities to direct uses to logical locations throughout a larger geographic area. It allows for planning across borders and saves money, minimize environmental impacts and preserves farms and open spaces. [source: Pennsylvania Land Choices, An Educational Guide, Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources in partnership with Pennsylvania Land Trust Association]
Multiple-use Forestry
- Concept of forest management that combines two or more objectives, such as production of wood or wood-derivative products, forage and browse for domestic livestock, proper environmental conditions for wildlife, landscape effects, protection against floods and erosion, recreation, and protection of water supplies. [source: DCNR State Forestry Resource Management Plan, Glossary of Terms: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/sfrmp/glossary.htm]
Mutual Covenant
- A permanent agreement between neighboring property owners controlling the future use of their lands through restrictions accepted by all the participants. A mutual covenant may qualify participants for a reduction in property and estate taxes, but the loss in market value of the properties does not qualify as a charitable deduction on income taxes.
Common example: Common open space in a planned neighborhood [Source: Landowner Options, Land Conservancy of North Kingstown, http://www.lcnk.org/lcnkPage.cfm?sec=17&opt=0#cov]
