The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(1) "Agent" means any occupant or any other person acting for the owner and working or in charge of the land.

(2) "Agricultural purposes" are those that are intended to provide for the growth and harvest of food and fiber.

(3) "Aquatic noxious weed" means an aquatic plant species that is listed on the state weed list under RCW 17.10.080.

(4) "Assessment" means a special assessment levied by a county legislative authority pursuant to RCW 17.10.240.

(5) "Centerline miles" means the length of any given road right-of-way corridor in miles, along the center line of the overall roadway alignment.

(6) As pertains to the duty of an owner, the words "control," "contain," "eradicate," and the term "prevent the spread of noxious weeds" means conforming to the standards of noxious weed control or prevention in this chapter or as adopted by rule in chapter 16-750 WAC by the state noxious weed control board and an activated county noxious weed control board.

(7) "Director" means the director of the department of agriculture or the director's appointed representative.

(8) "Noxious weed" means a plant that when established is highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices.

(9) "Owner" means the person in actual control of property including, but not limited to, deeded parcels, public rights-of-way, and undefined lots, or his or her agent, whether the control is based on legal or equitable title or on any other interest entitling the holder to possession and, for purposes of liability, pursuant to RCW 17.10.170 or 17.10.210, means the possessor of legal or equitable title or the possessor of an easement: PROVIDED, That when the possessor of an easement has the right to control or limit the growth of vegetation within the boundaries of an easement, only the possessor of the easement is deemed, for the purpose of this chapter, an "owner" of the property within the boundaries of the easement.

(10) "Parcel" means real property having a parcel number or deeded real property, undefined lot, a lot having a legal description, or right-of-way owned or held by the state, county, or city.

(11) "Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, firm, the state or any department, agency, or subdivision thereof, or any other entity.

(12) "Screenings" means a mixture of mill or elevator run mixture or a combination of varying amounts of materials obtained in the process of cleaning either grain or seeds, or both, such as light or broken grain or seed, weed seeds, hulls, chaff, joints, straw, elevator dust, floor sweepings, sand, and dirt.

(13) "State noxious weed list" means a list of noxious weeds adopted by the state noxious weed control board. The list is divided into three classes:

(a) Class A consists of those noxious weeds not native to the state that are of limited distribution or are unrecorded in the state and that pose a serious threat to the state;

(b) Class B consists of those noxious weeds not native to the state that are of limited distribution or are unrecorded in a region of the state and that pose a serious threat to that region;

(c) Class C consists of any other nonnative to Washington state noxious weeds.

(14) "Weed district" means a weed district as defined in chapters 17.04 and 17.06 RCW.

Reviser's note: The definitions in this section have been alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k).

Effective date—1995 c 255: See RCW 17.26.901.