Conservation of soil and water resources may involve adjustments in land and water use and the development, improvement and protection of these resources under various combinations of use. It is declared to be the policy of the Legislature to provide for and encourage the optimal use of the State’s agricultural resources, to insure the availability of appropriate soil and water resources for the production of food and other renewable resources, to provide for the conservation of the soil and soil and water resources of this State, and for the control and prevention of soil erosion, and thereby to preserve natural resources and maintain the economic base for the State’s natural resource industries, control floods, prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs, assist in maintaining the navigability of rivers and harbors, preserve wildlife, protect the tax base, protect public lands and protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of this State. [PL 1985, c. 482, §3 (AMD).]