Can Nature and Business Exist in Harmony? Local Entrepreneurs’ Perceptions of Protected Areas and Economic Development

Bulgaria has one of the richest biodiversity in Europe. To conserve it the state has built a network of national protected areas and included it in the Natura 2000 European ecological network. In attempts to create a vital example for sustainable local development Bulgarian NGOs demonstrate that protected areas are not prohibited for any human activities, but can be prerequisite for such development. This idea became the main mission of one particular project, managed by several NGOs, which aims to show that creating a protected area could be a guarantee of the establishment of a successful model for local people, for business and for the environment. The text will explore whether the project achieves its aims, whether there are clashes between cultural models of developmentalism and environmentalism, what social impact protected areas have on local entrepreneurs, and what their perceptions are of linking nature conservation to economic development. It will present different perspectives, both those of entrepreneurs who are part of the project network, and those of others who are not.