A holistic assessment of the impacts of park management: findings from the evaluation of Regional Nature Parks in Switzerland

Abstract

In Switzerland, Regional Nature Parks are required to undergo an impact assessment after ten years of operation, in order for the federal government to award the Park of National Importance label for a further ten years and for the government, relevant canton and communes to continue to provide financial support for the park’s operation. To this end, is there a convenient way of identifying and holistically assessing the impacts of park management activities on the goals of the parks and the overarching targets of parks policy in Switzerland? Based on experience gained from the evaluation of three Regional Nature Parks, we have developed a framework model for the holistic evaluation of such parks and present it here for discussion. Research eco.mont – Volume 14, Number 1, January 2022 ISSN 2073-106X pr int vers ion – ISSN 2073-1558 onl ine vers ion: ht tp://epub.oeaw.ac.at/eco.mont ht tps://dx.doi.org/10.1553/eco.mont-14-1s14 14