National Park purposes

There are 15 national parks in the UK. Known as Britain’s breathing spaces, national parks are areas of spectacular landscape which are protected so everyone can visit and enjoy them.

As guardians of a national park the New Forest National Park Authority has statutory purposes and socio-economic responsibilities as specified in the Environment Act of 1995:

• To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area

• To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park by the public.

Working in partnership with other organisations it is also the Authority’s duty to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of the local communities within the National Park.

We like to sum this up as:

Protect – Enjoy – Prosper