1.1 Conservation, the natural environment, and sustainability - clarifying the Department's role
The Department's conservation work contributes to the management of New Zealand's natural environment, which in turn contributes to sustainability.
Conservation is what the Department does. It is defined in the Conservation Act 1987 as:
"…the preservation and protection of natural and historic resources for the purpose of maintaining their intrinsic values, providing for their appreciation and recreational enjoyment by the public, and safeguarding the options of future generations".
This conservation activity sits alongside and supports the work of others who preserve, protect, and appreciate natural and historic heritage - tangata whenua, landowners, regional and local government, recreation, outdoor and conservation organisations, and businesses.
Conservation activity contributes to building and maintaining a healthy natural environment, and a healthy natural environment enables New Zealand's economic and social wellbeing, now and for the future. Because the Department administers one third of New Zealand's land mass, and has responsibilities in the coastal and marine environment, it makes a very significant contribution to environmental management and New Zealand's economy. These contributions include maintaining water and soil quality, water regulation, flood and erosion protection, and managing a significant proportion of New Zealand's carbon stock2.
Sustainability provides the wider context for environmental, social and economic development. Sustainability is defined as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' (the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, 1987). To help safeguard the options for future generations, the Department undertakes ongoing analysis of the implications of climate change for places and species, and adapts management techniques to address those implications. Through its active participation in the Government's sustainability initiatives, as outlined below, the Department models sustainable business practices and provides opportunities for others to contribute to sustainability through contributing to conservation.
2. Natural ecosystems - particularly indigenous forests - are the largest land cover carbon stocks in New Zealand, and around 67% of conservation land is currently in forest or forest-shrubland/grassland.