Volume 49, December 2015, Pages 213–226
Evolving national park models: The emergence of an economic imperative and its effect on the contested nature of the ‘national’ park concept in Northern Ireland
Highlights
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- Contemporary models of national park, esp. one with a strong economic imperative seeking to commodify the natural landscape.
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- Compares Cairngorm and Mourne stakeholders’ views on key features of the models.
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- Competing ethno-national identities (British–Irish) in Mourne may prove a major obstacle.
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- Model proposed may accelerate landscape degradation.
Abstract
National
park models have evolved in tandem with the emergence of a
multifunctional countryside. Sustainable development has been added to
the traditional twin aims of conservation and recreation. This is
typified by recent national park designations, such as the Cairngorms
National Park in Scotland. A proposed Mournes national park in Northern
Ireland has evolved a stage further with a model of national park to
deliver national economic goals envisaged by government. This seeks to
commodify the natural landscape. This paper compares Cairngorm and
Mourne stakeholders’ views on the principal features of both models:
park aims, management structures and planning functions. While Cairngorm
stakeholders were largely positive from the outset, the model of
national park introduced is not without criticism. Conversely, Mourne
stakeholders have adopted an anti-national park stance. Nevertheless,
the model of national park proposed possessing a strong economic
imperative, an absence of the Sandford Principle as a means to manage
likely conflicts, and lacking any planning powers in its own right, may
still be insufficient to bring about widespread support for a Mourne
national park. Such a model is also likely to accelerate the degradation
of the Mourne landscape. Competing national identities (British and
Irish) provide an additional dimension to the national park debate in
Northern Ireland. Deep ideological cleavages are capable of derailing
the introduction of a national park irrespective of the model proposed.
In Northern Ireland the national park debate is not only about
reconciling environmental and economic interests but also political and
ethno-national differences.
Keywords
- Countryside commodification;
- National parks;
- Contested identities;
- Northern Ireland;
- Cairngorms
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