The ancient hunting grounds of the New Forest became the first national park in England for 15 years on Tuesday

It is one of the UK's smallest national parks but has one of the largest populations of 34,000 people

The 900-year-old park is famed for its wild ponies and is also home to rare species

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said the status would preserve the forest's "unique character"

But some say it will mean extra bureaucracy for residents and more visitors than the area's amenities can support

The park joins areas such as Dartmoor and the Lake District to be recognised for special protected status

The New Forest National Park Authority will receive an annual government grant of about �3.5m