People across Wales have just one month left to respond to a consultation on a new national park.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is urging the public to provide feedback on an updated draft boundary map for the proposed park.

The map, referred to as the 'Candidate Area', has been altered since it was first shared in 2023.

The Welsh Government has tasked NRW with assessing the feasibility of a new national park.

An initial 'Area of Search' was identified and shared for public engagement last year.

NRW is now running a second public consultation on the emerging proposal, following a period of evidence gathering.

The consultation period began on October 7 and will end on December 16.

A questionnaire is available on the project website, and a series of drop-in and online events have been organised around the proposed area.

These events provide an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions, and share feedback on the map.

Ash Pearce, programme manager in NRW's designated landscapes programme team, said: "We are currently consulting on an amended Candidate area map for a proposed national park, along with supporting evidence.

"Following feedback in 2023 and again this year, we are very aware that there are a range of views on the proposal.

"A new national park could provide an additional mechanism for addressing some of the key challenges of our time, from restoring nature and biodiversity to strengthening resilience to climate change and helping eleviate physical and mental health issues through exercise and exposure to nature whilst also helping sustain agricultural viability and sustainable communities.

"But there are also concerns regarding how it might affect local communities, particularly if the balance between conservation and enhancement versus visitor pressures is not managed effectively."

He added: "National parks need to be adequately funded and well governed to achieve their potential.

"Appropriate arrangements in this respect is an underpinning assumption of NRW’s assessment and we will be seeking further clarification on this prior to finalising our recommendations.

"To realise the benefits and avoid unintended consequences, we need to get the potential area for a national park right, and also ensure that we have a full picture of the evidence and views that exist.

"That’s why we are consulting again on the amended map and new evidence reports."

Mr Pearce strongly urged those who are passionate about these issues to respond to the consultation before the deadline on December 16.

All feedback will be considered and will help inform the next steps.

The remaining public drop-in events are on November 30 at the Kings Hall Community Centre in Prestatyn, December 3 at the Cowshacc Centre in Welshpool, December 4 at Canolfan Ni in Corwen, and December 10 at Llangollen Town Hall.

All these events will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and 3pm to 7pm on weekdays.

There is also a public online event on December 12 from 6pm to 7.30pm on Microsoft Teams.

To sign up for this event, people should email their interest to the project team at designated.landscapes.programme@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.

The questionnaire can be accessed on the project website.

Paper copies are also available at all drop-in events.

Further information about the project can be found on the NRW website.