As used in this article the following terms shall mean and include:

1. "Commissioner" shall mean the commissioner of environmental conservation except that within and for the purposes of title eleven of this article, the commissioner of parks and recreation.

2. "Department" shall mean the department of environmental conservation.

3. "Federal assistance" except for federal public works act funds granted for New York city's Betts avenue incinerator and Hamilton avenue transfer station and as otherwise defined in this article, shall mean funds available, other than by loan, from the federal government to a municipality, either directly or through allocation by the state for construction or program purposes pursuant to any federal law or program.

4. "Governing body" shall mean

a. in the case of a town, a town board;

b. in the case of a county outside of the city of New York, the county board of supervisors or other elective governing body;

c. in the case of a city or village, the local legislative body thereof, as the term is defined in the municipal home rule law;

d. in the case of a public benefit corporation, the board of directors, members or trustees thereof;

e. in the case of a school district, the board of education thereof;

f. in the case of a supervisory district, the board of cooperative educational services thereof.

5. "Lands" shall mean lands, improvements and structures thereon or rights, franchises, and interests therein, lands under water and riparian rights, and shall also mean any and all interests in lands less than full title, including without limitations, easements, permanent or temporary, rights of way, uses, leases, licenses, and any other estate, interests or right in lands, legal or equitable.

6. "Municipality," except as otherwise defined within this article, shall mean a city, county, town, village, public benefit corporation or school district or an improvement district within a city, county, town or village, or any combination thereof.

7. "Office" shall mean the office of parks and recreation.