▁fire ▁after ▁Pol yn esian ▁settlement . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁forest ▁fell ▁after ▁European ▁settlement , ▁being ▁logged ▁or ▁cleared ▁to ▁make ▁room ▁for ▁past oral ▁far ming , ▁leaving ▁forest ▁occup ying ▁only ▁ 2 3   percent ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁Pol l ution , ▁particularly ▁water ▁poll ution , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁most ▁significant ▁environmental ▁issues . ▁F resh ▁water ▁quality ▁is ▁under ▁pressure ▁from ▁agricult ure , ▁hyd rop ower , ▁urban ▁development , ▁p est ▁invas ions ▁and ▁climate ▁change , ▁although ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁household ▁and ▁industrial ▁waste ▁is ▁now ▁increasing ly ▁filtered ▁and ▁sometimes ▁rec yc led . ▁ ▁Prote cted ▁areas ▁ ▁Some ▁areas ▁of ▁land , ▁the ▁sea , ▁rivers ▁or ▁la kes ▁are ▁protected ▁by ▁law , ▁so ▁their ▁special ▁plants , ▁animals , ▁land forms ▁and ▁other ▁features ▁are ▁safe ▁from ▁harm . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁has ▁three ▁World ▁Heritage ▁S ites , ▁ 1 3 ▁national ▁par ks , ▁ 3 4 ▁marine ▁res erves , ▁and ▁thousands ▁of ▁scen ic , ▁historic , ▁recre ation ▁and ▁other ▁res erves . ▁The ▁Department ▁of ▁Conserv ation ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁man aging ▁ 8 . 5 ▁million ▁hect ares ▁of ▁public ▁land ▁( appro xim ately ▁ 3 0   percent ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁total ▁land ▁area ). ▁ ▁Environment al ▁agre ements ▁New ▁Zealand ▁is ▁party ▁to ▁several ▁mult il ater al ▁environmental ▁agre ements . ▁The ▁major ▁agre ements ▁are