Montana Title 76. Land Resources and Use § 76-13-401. Definitions

(1) “Certificate of clearance” means a certificate issued by the department acknowledging that the fire hazard has been reduced or managed in accordance with this part and the fire hazard reduction agreement or agreements.

(2) “Contractor” means the person who executes the fire hazard reduction agreement and is responsible to fulfill the obligations established by the agreement.

(3) “Department” means the department of natural resources and conservation provided for in Title 2, chapter 15, part 33.

(4) “Exemption certificate” means an exemption from the provisions of this part that must be granted by the department for the harvest of merchantable trees within the boundaries of an incorporated city or town.

(5) “Fire hazard” means slash and debris resulting from timber cutting, timber stand improvement, or right-of-way clearing operations that produce a cover of flammable material in which fire could spread through a cutting or adjacent area.

(6) “Fire hazard reduction agreement” means a contract made to ensure compliance with this part and with the rules adopted under 76-13-403 for fire hazard reduction or management on private forest lands.

(7) “Fire hazard reduction or management” means the abatement of a fire hazard on private forest lands by methods that include but are not limited to separation, removal, scattering, lopping, crushing, piling and burning, broadcast burning, burying, or chipping.

(8) “Forest product” means trees or their component parts, including but not limited to logs, poles, branches, or bark.

(9) “Master fire hazard reduction agreement” means a fire hazard reduction agreement between the department and persons engaged in continuing cutting operations of sufficient number and size to warrant covering these operations under a single agreement and a single bond.

(10) “Minimum slash hazard” means an amount of slash and debris generated by noncommercial activities, which may include but are not limited to weeding, pruning, or clearing on private land within the state.

(11) “Person” means an individual, association, partnership, corporation, estate, or any other entity.

(12) “Private forest lands” means all lands of whatever character containing merchantable timber that are not owned by the state, a political subdivision of the state, the United States, any agency of the United States, or an Indian tribe.

(13) “Purchaser” means a person who purchases or contracts to purchase any forest products cut from private forest lands within the state. The term includes persons who purchase products manufactured on the cutting area.