Local Communities and Environmental Groups in Finland, Canada and the United States: Reducing Land Use Conflict in Arctic Wilderness Areas

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed research builds on previous research examining public policy and cultural values of stakeholders in land use policy for arctic wilderness areas. The proposed research expands on the previous research by investigating ways of reducing land use conflict in arctic wilderness areas. Through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Dr. Gladden will do a comparison of three case studies of wilderness areas in Finnish Lapland, Alaska, and the Yukon Territories of Canada. Four research hypotheses will be examined to explain the variation in conflict between local and non-local groups in the three case study areas: 1) increased policy control by local residents reduces conflict, 2) increased participation in planning processes reduces conflict, 3) legal integration of national laws leads to decreased conflict, 4) reduced focus on ideological values in the planning process, decreases conflict.