Culture wars and protected areas: narratives against national parks. An exploratory qualitative comparison of the movements opposing Adula Park and Locarnese Park. eco.mont (Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management)|eco.mont Vol. 13 No. 2 13 2|

This paper analyses the discourses of two movements opposing National Park projects in Switzerland, focusing on their strategies and the political causes of their actions. Five in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with the leaders of the opponents of Adula Park and Locarnese Park. The results reveal a cultural war between nature conservation advocates and park opponents. The existence of this radical opposition prevented bottom-up schemes from working. Further studies should aim to better understand the causes of this malaise in order to facilitate greater acceptance of new Protected Areas