The Battle of Trillemarka : A Study of Narratives Related to the Conservation of Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell Nature Reserve with Focus on Economic Instruments and Legitimacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore local narratives on the conservation of Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell, in 2012, four years after its inauguration. The study reveals that there is a wide gap between the successful picture presented by external actors and the actual situation of the local actors affected by the conservation. The implemented economic instruments have failed to produce increased legitimacy for conservation in the eyes of the local population. Rather than a win-win situation where local communities are benefiting from conservation of biodiversity, this study indicates that the establishment of Norway’s largest forest reserve has resulted in fortifying a sense of local marginalization.