THE New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) meets for the first time today. The historic meeting is at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel and it is open to the public.

The new body will operate in tandem with existing organisations before taking charge in April next year. Members will spend the next 12 months appointing staff, finding a permanent headquarters and drawing up policies to protect the New Forest - the first new National Park to be created since the 1980s.

In a report to today's meeting, interim chief executive Susan Carter urges the fledgling authority to take things one step at a time.

She writes: "It will be important not to sacrifice future flexibility and freedom of manoeuvre by rushing into decisions with expensive long-term consequences.

"It will be especially important to wait until there is a permanent chief executive to advise and guide it before making major decisions."

The report describes 2005-2006 as a transitional period in which the NPA's powers and functions are limited by law. It adds: "Members will be taking advantage of opportunities to familiarise themselves with New Forest and National Park issues.

"These will include a field trip around the Forest and briefings from various organisations."

The authority still has only five full-time staff, who are based at the Forestry Commission offices at the Queen's House, Lyndhurst, and the district council's headquarters at nearby Appletree Court.

The permanent chief executive will be appointed on May 25 and is likely to take up his or her post between June and September.

"By September the authority is likely to have about 30 staff, with numbers rising further until April 2006, when it will take on its full functions," says the report.

"The final number will depend on how much work the authority undertakes and how much is contracted out to others."

Much of today's meeting will be taken up with administrative tasks such as the appointment of the authority's first chairman and vice-chairman.