Galen Martin University of California, Davis The doctoral dissertation research proposal will focus upon how contrasting visions of conservation and development have been, and continue to be, played out in situ on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. More specifically, the study will examine natural resource use patterns as practiced by three groups: local residents who use the Cahuita area as livelihood space, tourists and the tourist industry, and conservationists. A detailed case study is presented of a community whose people and landscape are directly shaped by an exogenous conservation agenda imposed by a national park. Data will be obtained from interviews with individuals in the three groups and also through focus groups. A major accomplishment will be the articulation of how these groups view sustainable development and participatory conservation and what implications this may have for policy development.
