Beaches of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay shoreline of Delaware are hereby declared to be valuable natural features which furnish recreational opportunity and provide storm protection for persons and property, as well as being an important economic resource for the people of the State. Beach erosion and shoreline migration occur due to the influence of waves, currents, tides, storms and rising sea level. These natural forces have created, and will continue to alter, the beaches of the State. Development and habitation of beaches must be done with due consideration given to the natural forces impacting upon them and the dynamic nature of those natural features. The purposes of this chapter are to enhance, preserve and protect the public and private beaches of the State, to mitigate beach erosion, to create civil and criminal remedies for acts destructive of beaches, to prescribe the penalties for such acts and to vest in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“the Department”) the authority to adopt such rules and regulations it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

7 Del. C. 1953, § ?6801; 58 Del. Laws, c. 566, § ?2; 64 Del. Laws, c. 361, § ?1;