The Department of Conservation is the central New Zealand government organisation charged with conservation. Its mission is to conserve the natural and historic heritage of New Zealand for the benefit of present and future generations.
The department promotes biodiversity conservation, historic conservation, the conservation experience, conservation partnerships and quality conservation management.

The Department manages or administers on behalf of New Zealanders: national parks and forest parks, reserves and conservation areas, protected indigenous forests, protected inland waters and wild and scenic rivers, indigenous/native wildlife, non-commercial freshwater fisheries, historic places on conservation land, marine reserves and protecting marine mammals, offshore islands set aside for conservation