A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Governing national parks in Finland: the illusion of public involvement
The Finnish management model for national parks is rather centralised from a European perspective. However, stakeholder governance through public participation within the participatory planning processes of management plans for national parks has been emphasised, although how public participation works in practice is relatively unclear. The general intention of this article is to shed some light on how public participation works by analysing and discussing the institutional participation of affiliated local stakeholders. The analysis is carried out with the help of a case study. The Archipelago National Park (ANP) constitutes the case subject, as it has received World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recognition of being one of the best managed wilderness areas in Europe. The analysis of local stakeholders' involvement in the participation process of the management plan is based on survey data that comprises the perceptions of affiliated local permanent inhabitants and of local nature tourism entrepreneurs. The data reveal that very few of the affiliated local stakeholders have been involved in the institutional participation process. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of the local stakeholders feel that there is no possibility of their participation. The main reason for this is a general shortage of information and communication between the administrator of the ANP and the local stakeholders. This article suggests a more extensive local stakeholder involvement in the management of national parks, as social values are at the root of many environmental conflicts.
Governing national parks in Finland: the illusion of public involvement
The Finnish management model for national parks is rather centralised from a European perspective. However, stakeholder governance through public participation within the participatory planning processes of management plans for national parks has been emphasised, although how public participation works in practice is relatively unclear. The general intention of this article is to shed some light on how public participation works by analysing and discussing the institutional participation of affiliated local stakeholders. The analysis is carried out with the help of a case study. The Archipelago National Park (ANP) constitutes the case subject, as it has received World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recognition of being one of the best managed wilderness areas in Europe. The analysis of local stakeholders' involvement in the participation process of the management plan is based on survey data that comprises the perceptions of affiliated local permanent inhabitants and of local nature tourism entrepreneurs. The data reveal that very few of the affiliated local stakeholders have been involved in the institutional participation process. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of the local stakeholders feel that there is no possibility of their participation. The main reason for this is a general shortage of information and communication between the administrator of the ANP and the local stakeholders. This article suggests a more extensive local stakeholder involvement in the management of national parks, as social values are at the root of many environmental conflicts.
Governing national parks in Finland: the illusion of public involvement
Grönholm, Sam (author)
Local Environment ; 14 ; 233-243
2009-03-01
11 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
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