Protected areas of New Zealand are areas that are in some way protected to preserve their environmental, scientific, scenic, historical, cultural or recreational value. There are about 10,000 protected areas covering about a third of the country. The method and aims of protection vary according to the importance of the resource and whether it is publicly or privately owned. Nearly 30 percent of New Zealand's land mass is publicly owned with some degree of protection. Most of this land – about – is administered by the Department of Conservation. There are 13 national parks, thousands of reserves, 54 conservation parks, and a range of other conservation areas. The department also manages 44 offshore and coastal marine reserves. Any development in Coastal Marine Areas, which extend up to the mean high water spring mark and up to a kilometre up rivers, require a resource consent under the Resource Management Act. History The Māori people of New Zealand have a tradition of declaring a rāhui to restrict access to or exploitation of resources. Governor Hobson (in office 1840-1842) had instructions from the United Kingdom Home Secretary John Russell for the setting aside of some Crown land in New Zealand: "reserved, for the use of the public at large, all tracts which are likely to be required for purposes of public health, utility, convenience, or enjoyment." The Public Reserves Act 1854 allowed the Crown to grant public-utility reserves to provinces. The Public Domains Act 1860 covered domains in Auckland and Wellington and allowed the Governor of New Zealand to buy other land. These powers were further extended by the Public Reserves Act 1877, the Public Reserves Act 1881, the Public Reserves and Domains Act 1908, the Public Reserves, Domains and National Parks Act 1928, and the Reserves and Domains Act 1953. The Reserves Act 1977 superseded previous acts. The 1977 Act, together with the Marine Reserves Act 1971, National Parks Act 1980 and Conservation Act 1987, established New Zealand's modern conservation system. National parks The National Parks Act 1980 provides high protection significant areas known as national parks. These areas provide a habitat for many rare plants and animals, and a place for walking, mountain climbing, boating, snow sports and other forms of recreation. The first national park, Tongariro National Park, is one of the ten oldest national parks in the world, and has its origins in the gifting of land for a