The Legislature of the Virgin Islands hereby determines and finds that the lands and waters comprising the watersheds of the United States Virgin Islands are great natural assets and resources; and that improper development of land results in changed watershed conditions such as: erosion and sediment deposition on lower-lying land and in the tidal waters, increased flooding, gut and drainage filling and alteration, pollution, and other harmful environmental changes to such a degree that fish, marine life, and recreational and other private and public uses of lands and waters are being adversely affected. In order to protect the natural resources of the United States Virgin Islands, promote the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the United States Virgin Islands, and to protect private and public property, the Legislature further finds and determines that it is necessary to establish by law an environmental protection program for land development to prevent soil erosion and for the conservation of beaches, shorelines and the coastal zones of the United States Virgin Islands.