Unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms as used in this Article are defined as follows:
(1) "Areas of environmental concern" means: those areas of this State where uncontrolled development, unregulated use, or other man-related activities could result in major or irreversible damage to important environmental, historic, cultural, scientific or scenic values, or natural systems or processes which are of more than local significance, or could unreasonably endanger life or property as a result of natural hazards, or could result in loss of continued long-range productivity in renewable resource areas.
(2) "Principal officer" means the duly appointed or elected public official in responsible charge of a principal department of State government.
(3) "Key facilities" means public facilities which tend to induce development and urbanization of more than local impact and includes, but is not limited to, major facilities for the development, generation, and transmission of energy, for communication, and for transportation.
(4) "Local government" means any county, incorporated village, town, or city, or any combination of counties, incorporated villages, towns, and cities, acting through a joint program pursuant to the provisions of this Article.
(5) "New communities and large-scale developments" means private development which, because of its magnitude or the magnitude of its effect on the surrounding environment, is likely to present issues of more than local significance.
(6) "Project of regional impact" means land use, public development, and private development on government or nongovernmental lands for which there is a demonstrable impact affecting the interests of constituents of more than one local unit of government.
(7) "Region" or "regional" means or refers to one or more of the official planning regions established pursuant to the laws of this State. (1973, c. 1306, s. 1.)