On the September 16, 1999, the Government of Republic of Croatia established the public institution, Nature Park Papuk.

Nature Park is a spacious natural or partially cultivated area of land or sea with an emphasis on landscape, ecological, educational, cultural, and historical, tourist, and recreational values.
Allowed activities and works within Nature Park are those that do not put in danger its important characteristics and purpose. The economy related activities and usage of natural resources within Nature Park is allowed in case of previously obtained conditions of nature protection.
The financial assets for the work of public institution are secured from the State's budget, and own resources, allowances from permissions issued to physical and legal persons for usage of Park's resources and lands, as well as from subsidies, sponsors and gifts.

The logo of institution is composed of the composition of first geological monument of nature, Rupnica, a fir-tree, and waterfall Jankovac. The mission of the institution is protection, preservation, and promotion of Nature Park Papuk, which is performed through the following activities:

• encouraging and organizing of scientific and research activities
• organizing of visits to Nature Park
• admission and transportation of visitors
• catering and tourism related activities
• monitoring of protected natural values

The status of Nature Park is defined with:

• The Law about Protection of Environment
• Program for Physical Planning of the Republic of Croatia

The physical planning determines organization of space, ways of usage, decoration, and protection within Nature Park. The plan additionally defines in details protective and development measures that need to be taken in Nature Park.

The importance of creating a physical plan is in the protection from uncontrolled economic use, and exploiting of natural values of the Republic of Croatia. This is the legal way of eliminating non-qualitative and dangerous illegal building, preventing development of dirty technologies, pollution, storing of different kinds of waste (eventually radioactive waste), in order not to destroy the main good, which is GENUINE NATURE:

• water springs, with an accent on thermal
• landscapes, harmony of landscapes
• forests
• soils
• air protection from harmful emissions of large polluters in the Park, and its surroundings
• habitats of the protected plants
• waterfall Jankovac with travertine barrier
• valley of stream Veličanka
• valley of stream Dubočanke
• valley of stream Brzaje