(1) "Department" means the department of natural resources.

(2) "Council" means the natural heritage advisory council as established in RCW 79.70.070.

(3) "Plan" means the state of Washington natural heritage plan as established under RCW 79.70.030.

(4) "Natural heritage resource" means the plant community types, aquatic types, unique geologic types, and special plant and animal species and their critical habitat as defined in the plan.

(5) "Natural area" means a unit of land or water or both which contains a natural heritage resource, and which has been registered by the landowner and may be considered for dedication or commitment as a natural area preserve.

(6) "Natural area preserve" means a natural area which has been:

(a) Dedicated under the provisions of RCW 79.70.090; or

(b) Formally committed to protection by a cooperative agreement between a government landholder and the department.

(7) "Registration" means a voluntary commitment by the landowner for protection of a specific natural heritage resource located on the landowner's land. No real property interest is transferred. Registration is memorialized by a certificate of registration issued by the department.

(8) "Dedication" means the formal recognition and protection of a natural area for natural heritage conservation purposes accomplished by the voluntary transfer by a landowner to the department of an interest in real property less than fee simple.

(9) "Register" means the Washington Register of Natural Area Preserves which lists the sites which have been formally registered, dedicated or formally protected by cooperative agreement, for natural area purposes.

(10) "Instrument of dedication" means a written document intended to convey an interest in real property, pursuant to chapter 64.04 RCW.

(11) "Landowner" means any individual, partnership, private, public, nonprofit, or municipal corporation, city, county, state agency, agency of the United States or any other governmental agency or entity, which exercises control over a natural heritage resource whether such control is based on legal or equitable title, or which manages or holds in trust land in Washington state.

(12) "Government landholder" means any city, municipal corporation, county, state agency, agency of the United States, or any other government agency which manages, owns, holds in trust or otherwise has jurisdiction over land in Washington state.