A study of inclusive conservation in the Denali Region of Alaska

Protected area conservation has been positioned as a global solution to a number of pressing social-ecological challenges. Nearly 250 million people currently live in or near protected areas and that number is ever-increasing due to the universal appeal of natural areas. Although public land management agencies have traditionally focused attention within protected areas, engagement with adjacent communities is fundamentally important for developing long-term, sustainable, and transboundary solutions to conservation problems. The diversity of voices and history of relationships can lead to challenges in representation and participation at either local or regional levels. Indeed, frustrations can stem from perceived and actual exclusion of residents in decision-making, in that some groups can be left thinking their perspectives are not correctly represented, or even worse, are being excluded from a seemingly inaccessible decision-making process. Explicit consideration of the array of goals held by local communities and their potential for implementation through management strategies is known as “inclusive conservation.” This approach to resource management is needed to be proactive and effectively engage the range of community members around a protected area.

This project was part of a broader collaboration with an international team of scholars from three protected areas in Western Europe, a group of science communication experts, and policy-makers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), referred to as the ENVISION project (Raymond et al. 2022). This larger team examined the various ways in which protected areas engaged multiple viewpoints of community members to enhance inclusive conservation practices for protected area management. Throughout the project described in this report, we have been in communication with our ENVISION colleagues to exchange insights, findings, and policy implications.

Our research was designed to identify and support a process for inclusive conservation in the region surrounding Denali National Park and Preserve and Denali State Park (see Denali project website).  We employed mixed methods, including in-depth interviews and focus groups with residents to understand how local places are viewed and characterized. The next phase of research quantified and modeled the relationships that had been previously observed. We then developed online discussion forums with residents to understand how dialogue about the project findings could facilitate information sharing, learning and meaningful exchange. The three objectives that guided this study and provided a basis for structuring this report are as follows:

• Characterize the meanings of places and how they are changing in the region
• Understand the experiences, perspectives, and preferences of residents
• Evaluate ‘social learning’ about inclusive conservation through deliberation