Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/Week 50, 2006
There are 14 national parks of New Zealand, covering just under 25,000 km², 20 forest parks covering some 18,000 km², about 3,500 reserves covering around 15,000 km², and some 610 km² of protected private land and covenants that have been set aside for scenic, scientific or ecological reasons.
The Department of Conservation administers the majority of the publicly owned land in New Zealand that is protected for scenic, scientific, historic and cultural reasons, or set aside for recreational purposes. More than 80,000 km² – nearly 30 percent of the nation's total area – are administered by the department. It also has a role in management of the coastal marine area with 19 marine reserves and two other protected marine areas.
The National Parks Act 1980 provides for the establishment of national parks or reserves and also provides for the public to have freedom of entry and access to the parks.