The General Assembly finds that certain rivers of North Carolina possess outstanding natural, scenic, educational, geological, recreational, historic, fish and wildlife, scientific and cultural values of great present and future benefit to the people. The General Assembly further finds as policy the necessity for a rational balance between the conduct of man and the preservation of the natural beauty along the many rivers of the State. This policy includes retaining the natural and scenic conditions in some of the State’s valuable rivers by maintaining them in a free-flowing state and to protect their water quality and adjacent lands by retaining these natural and scenic conditions. It is further declared that the preservation of certain rivers or segments of rivers in their natural and scenic condition constitutes a beneficial public purpose. (1971, c. 1167, s. 2; 2015-241, s. 14.30(f).)