(1) The Legislature of the State of Mississippi finds and declares that:

(a) Mississippi is endowed with abundant varied natural resources which serve as a source of recreation and economic benefit to our people;

(b) The extraction of materials by surface mining is a significant economic activity and is an integral part of the growth and development of this state;

(c) The process of surface mining necessarily involves the alteration of the face of the land;

(d) The process of surface mining must be accomplished in a manner to reduce the undesirable effects of surface mining to a bare minimum, and to protect and preserve our land which is one of our greatest natural resources; and

(e) The land whose face has been altered by surface mining requires reclamation to prevent permanent damage to surface water and the land so that it may be used by future generations, to protect the safety and welfare of Mississippians, and to preserve available natural resources.

(2) The Legislature, recognizing its duty and obligation to foster the economic well-being of the state and nation, to encourage the development of its natural resources and to preserve the beauty of its lands, declares that the purpose of this chapter is to:

(a) Provide for the regulation and control of surface mining so as to minimize its injurious effects by requiring proper reclamation of surface-mined lands;

(b) Establish a regulatory system of permits and reclamation standards, supplemented by the knowledge, expertise and concerns of mining operators, landowners and the general public which is designed to achieve an acceptable, workable balance between the economic necessities of developing our natural resources and the public interest in protecting our birthright of natural beauty and a pristine environment; and

(c) Establish a regulatory system of uniform standards and procedures to govern the mining and reclamation of land, accepting the proposition that varied types of mining, varied types of materials being mined and varied geographical and ecological areas of this state may require variations in methods of surface mining and reclamation, but any variation shall be designed to restore the affected area to a useful, productive and beneficial purpose.