The New Forest is an area of open heath and woodland covering some 37,500 hectares between the coastal towns of Southampton and Bournemouth in Hampshire, England.

The Forest’s character and ecology is largely maintained by the grazing of livestock (mostly native New Forest ponies and cattle, but including some sheep and donkeys as well as pigs during the autumn) which are owned by smallholders and farmers who have common rights over the Forest.

The membership of the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association is made up of commoners themselves and others who recognise the importance of commoning to the New Forest.

The Association’s main purpose is to support the right of commoners to turn their stock out on the open Forest and to promote their interests in the day-to-day management of the Forest, as well as in the wider political arena.