The West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Boards’ area of jurisdiction covers 1,610,000 hectares of the West Coast, from north of Karamea to Big Bay in the south. Approximately a quarter of all public conservation land lies within the Boards’ region. The area also extends out to the 12-nautical mile limit with respect to coastal and marine issues, and out to the 200 nautical mile limit with respect to marine mammal issues.
Significant areas
Paparoa National Park encompasses an array of habitats including coastal forest, limestone cliffs, canyons, caves, and underground streams. The park is also home to the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.
Westland Tai Poutini National Park extends from the peaks of the Southern Alps, to the beaches of the West Coast. A scenic landscape host to a variety of habitats, from snowfields and glaciers, to rainforest and lakes. The area is home to the only population of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi, the endangered rowi.
Victoria Forest Park covers 206,000 hectares, containing beech forests with red, silver, mountain, black and hard species represented. This forest is home to a variety of native bird species, including tui, bellbird, tomtit, kaka, parakeet, and robin.
The Boards’ district includes: 2 National Parks, 1 Conservation Park, 3 Wilderness Areas, 114 Scenic Reserves, 19 Historic Reserves, 92 Recreation Reserves, 45 Ecological Areas, 21 Amenity Areas, and 390 Stewardship Areas.