(1) The policy of the state of Montana expressed in the Reclamation and Development Grants Program Act is to provide a state capability to fund projects that indemnify the people of the state for the effects of mineral development on public resources and that meet other crucial needs serving the public interest and the total environment of the citizens of Montana.
(2) The purposes of the reclamation and development grants program are to:
(a) repair, reclaim, and mitigate environmental damage to public resources from nonrenewable resource extraction; and
(b) develop and ensure the quality of public resources for the benefit of all Montanans.