Place attachment, power mechanisms, landscape valuation, and attitudes toward protected area management of Everglades National Park, Florida

Stakeholder-management conflict is emerging across geographies where gateway communities and protected area management meet at the wildland urban interface. Resolution of such conflict through collaborative, community-based approaches is necessary. However, understanding the socio-political dimensions must be explored to provide a platform for collaborative action. This study examined place attachment, power mechanisms, and landscape valuation across attitudes toward management, given proposed management practices in Everglades National Park.Qualitative methodologies were employed to elucidate the research purpose. Criterion and snowball sampling rendered 31 study participants. Triangulated data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with photo elicitation and mapping techniques, along with participant observation and a collection of archivals. Data were analyzed using grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) and Atlas.ti 5.5. Validation was confirmed through triangulation, mechanically recording data, member checking, constant comparison, and external audit.The results revealed a five dimensional model of place, eight manifestations of power, and 11 constructs of landscape valuation. Place constructs (i.e., dependence, frontier, heritage, healing, and home) led to place-specific attitudes toward management (i.e., distrust, relevance of local knowledge, and responsibility). In addition, participants' perceived attitudes of protected area planning (i.e., conflict, distrust, resignation, responsibility, and support for management) influenced particular power manifestations (i.e., alliance, compromise, enrollment, exclusion, force, influence, resistance, and withdrawal). Lastly, landscape values (i.e., aesthetic, biodiversity, do the right thing, economic, escape, frontier, heritage, new discovery, recreation, rewards, and spiritual) led to distinct attitudes toward management (i.e., conflict, distrust, responsibility, shift blame, and support).The implications of this research are two-fold. Theoretically, this research extends contemporary understanding of these variables as the influential relationship of place and values constructs on attitudes toward management, as well as the influence of attitudes on power manifestations were evident. In practical terms, managers across geographies wishing to integrate place and value-based meanings into planning must recognize the site-specificity of these meanings and identify constructs within their site, through collaborative approaches. Understanding power manifestations and attitudes toward management influenced by place and values will prove useful in understanding stakeholders' future support of management practices.