2018 CLAG Field Study Award Report:
Clare Beer, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, UCLA
Project: Nationalizing Nature: Conservation, Economy, and Chile’s Route of Parks Project
Parque Nacional Pumalín Douglas Tompkins is one of three national parks created from the Tompkins’ private conservation estate.
My dissertation research examines a new mega-conservation project in Chilean Patagonia, known as the Route of Parks (RoP), to understand the changing role of land-based biodiversity conservation in national political economy. Chile has pursued an model of extractive capitalism for more than a century, exploiting a wide range of natural resources. Economic and trade frameworks have been coupled with an environmental legal framework that Tecklin et al. (2011) call ‘market-enabling’ rather than ‘market-regulating.’ Situated within this context are state practices of land-based biodiversity conservation, which have long been viewed by the industrial private sector and even the state itself as impediments to growth.
A Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia poster hangs in the window of a minimarket in Villa Cerro Castillo. One of hundreds displayed throughout the region, the poster represents not only the spatial extent of the project, but also the branding power of this public-private conservation partnership.
The new RoP project aims to disrupt assumed zero-sum tensions between conservation and development, however, by promoting conservation-as-development (West, 2006). The RoP emerges from a public-private partnership between the Chilean state and the American eco-philanthropist Kristine Tompkins. On March 15, 2017, Tompkins and then-President Michelle Bachelet pledged a joint donation of one million acres of the Tompkins’ private conservation estate and nine million acres of adjacent federal lands to the national park service. This landmark pledge qualifies as both the largest private land donation ever received by a national government, and the largest single increase to the national park service in Chilean history. My dissertation research employs qualitative and ethnographic methods to ask how conservation-as-development suddenly became politically commonsense in Chile, and what the RoP suggests about its processes and outcomes.
With the generous support of a CLAG Field Study Award, I have completed the first phase of my research in Chile: ten weeks of fieldwork in the Lagos and Aysén regions of Chilean Patagonia (February 3 – April 16, 2019). The purpose of this fieldwork was to begin to understand how the RoP is rolling out in local communities. Through a combination of participant observation, in-depth interviews, and content analysis of print and online materials, I explored three central questions: (1) How is the RoP project being received by local communities in Patagonia? (2) What are its potential impacts on landscapes and livelihoods? (3) What does a ‘conservation economy’ look like in practice, and how do residents envision their relationship to it?
he entrance to a private ranch on the outskirts of Chile Chico. Just over the ridge, an Australian mining company is drilling for gold next to the new Patagonia National Park.
T
Preliminary data collected in Patagonia yields several important findings. First, many local people living and working near the parks report feeling uninformed about, and excluded from, the new mega-conservation project. Often, informants attributed the lack of communication to centralismo. Second, following from a perceived lack of communication about the RoP is a perceived lack of preparedness to implement the project locally. There is concern by state and non-state actors alike that CONAF cannot maintain the Tompkins’ conservation standards due to inadequate budgets and manpower. Finally, a last-minute and controversial change to the official boundaries of the new Patagonia National Park is generating heated conflict. This reduction coincides with where an Australian mining company has been conducting preliminary, and at times unauthorized, explorations for gold. This single event, I think, captures the contradictory and Janus-faced qualities of the Chilean environmental state. The limits of conservation-as-development at least for now appear to remain defined by the possibilities of resource extraction.
Please see the full report for more details.
JLAG's Ten Most Popular Articles by Requests Since 2010
10104 Christopher Gaffney (2010).
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4591 Maria Elisa Christie (2002).
Naturaleza y sociedad desde la perspectiva de la cocina tradicional mexicana: género, adaptación y resistencia Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
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4469 Doribel Herrador Valencia; Enric Mendizábal Riera; Martí Boada i Juncà (2012).
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3584 Jeremy Slack; Daniel E. Martínez; Alison Elizabeth Lee; Scott Whiteford (2016).
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3562 Karl H. Offen (2004).
The Territorial Turn: Making Black Territories in Pacific Colombia Journal of Latin American Geography 2(1).
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3105 Jeffrey Todd Bury (2002).
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2766 James Freeman (2014).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/539604
2540 Kate Swanson; Rebecca Maria Torres (2016).
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2527 Cynthia Sorrensen (2005).
Maria Full of Grace (Maria, llena eres de gracia) (review) Journal of Latin American Geography 4(2).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/189742
2408 Dr. Rikke Schmidt Kjærgaard (2015).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/578762
JLAG's Ten Most Popular Articles by Requests in 05/2024
616 Doribel Herrador Valencia; Enric Mendizábal Riera; Martí Boada i Juncà (2012).
Participatory Action Research Applied to the Management of Natural Areas: The Case Study of Cinquera in El Salvador Journal of Latin American Geography 11(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/470629
112 Karl H. Offen (2004).
The Territorial Turn: Making Black Territories in Pacific Colombia Journal of Latin American Geography 2(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/174024
103 Maria Elisa Christie (2002).
Naturaleza y sociedad desde la perspectiva de la cocina tradicional mexicana: género, adaptación y resistencia Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215263
85 Martha G. Bell; Jessica Budds; Gabriela Valdivia; Jörn Seemann; John C. Finn; Eugenio Arima (2023).
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75 Christian Brannstrom Adryane Gorayeb (2022).
Geographical Implications of Brazilâs Emerging Green Hydrogen Sector Journal of Latin American Geography 21(1).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/855961
57 Hanna Laako Edith Kauffer (2021).
Conservation in the Frontier: Negotiating Ownerships of Nature at the Southern Mexican Border Journal of Latin American Geography 20(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/835649
56 Miguel Aguilar Robledo (2004).
Formation of the Miraflores Hacienda: Lands, Indians, and Livestock in Eastern New Spain at the End of the Sixteenth Century Journal of Latin American Geography 2(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/174015
56 David J. Keeling (2005).
Latin American Development and the Globalization Imperative: New Directions, Familiar Crises Journal of Latin American Geography 3(1).
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53 Daniel W. Gade (2002).
Names for Manihot esculenta: Geographical Variations and Lexical Clarification Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
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51 Elizabeth Macpherson; Pía Weber Salazar; Paulo Urrutia Barceló (2023).
Los ríos como territorio en disputa: hacia un enfoque relacional del agua en Chile / Rivers as Disputed Territory: Towards a Relational Approach to Water in Chile Journal of Latin American Geography 22(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/915673
JLAG's Ten Most Popular Articles by Requests in 2024
1977 Doribel Herrador Valencia; Enric Mendizábal Riera; Martí Boada i Juncà (2012).
Participatory Action Research Applied to the Management of Natural Areas: The Case Study of Cinquera in El Salvador Journal of Latin American Geography 11(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/470629
968 Maria Elisa Christie (2002).
Naturaleza y sociedad desde la perspectiva de la cocina tradicional mexicana: género, adaptación y resistencia Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215263
670 Martha G. Bell; Jessica Budds; Gabriela Valdivia; Jörn Seemann; John C. Finn; Eugenio Arima (2023).
Contested Conference Locations: Perspectives on the 2024 AAG and CLAG Meetings Journal of Latin American Geography 22(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/915666
555 Karl H. Offen (2004).
The Territorial Turn: Making Black Territories in Pacific Colombia Journal of Latin American Geography 2(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/174024
509 Elizabeth Macpherson; Pía Weber Salazar; Paulo Urrutia Barceló (2023).
Los ríos como territorio en disputa: hacia un enfoque relacional del agua en Chile / Rivers as Disputed Territory: Towards a Relational Approach to Water in Chile Journal of Latin American Geography 22(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/915673
485 Christian Brannstrom Adryane Gorayeb (2022).
Geographical Implications of Brazilâs Emerging Green Hydrogen Sector Journal of Latin American Geography 21(1).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/855961
283 Jessica Budds; Kathleen O'Reilly (2023).
Reforming Water Governance in Chile: A Hydrosocial Relations Perspective Journal of Latin American Geography 22(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/915672
274 Miguel Aguilar Robledo (2004).
Formation of the Miraflores Hacienda: Lands, Indians, and Livestock in Eastern New Spain at the End of the Sixteenth Century Journal of Latin American Geography 2(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/174015
242 Felix M. Dorn; Fernando Ruiz Peyré (2020).
Lithium as a Strategic Resource: Geopolitics, Industrialization, and Mining in Argentina Journal of Latin American Geography 19(4).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/772602
232 Daniel W. Gade (2002).
Names for Manihot esculenta: Geographical Variations and Lexical Clarification Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215264
Los Diez Artículos Españoles Mas Popular de JLAG por Solicitudes Desde 2010
4591 Maria Elisa Christie (2002).
Naturaleza y sociedad desde la perspectiva de la cocina tradicional mexicana: género, adaptación y resistencia Journal of Latin American Geography 1(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215263
2258 Danilo Borja; Juan Bay; Conny Davidsen; Traducido por Yulia Garcia Sarduy (2021).
Ancianos amazónicos en la frontera petrolera: La vida y muerte de Nenkihui Bay, líder tradicional Waorani Journal of Latin American Geography 20(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/787933
2154 Diana Vela-Almeida; Sofia Zaragocin; Manuel Bayón; Iñigo Arrazola (2020).
Imaginando territorios plurales de vida: una lectura feminista de las resistencias en los movimientos socio-territoriales en el Ecuador Journal of Latin American Geography 19(2).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/749633
1660 Colectivo de Geografía Crítica del Ecuador (2017).
Geografiando para la resistencia Journal of Latin American Geography 16(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/653095
1631 Diego B. Leal; David S. Salisbury; Josué Faquín Fernández; Lizardo Cauper Pezo; Julio Silva (2015).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/586857
1620 Geobrujas-Comunidad de Geógrafas (2021).
Cuerpos, fronteras y resistencia: mujeres conjurando geografía a través de experiencias desde el otro lado del muro Journal of Latin American Geography 20(2).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/799599
1366 Christian Abizaid; Luis Ángel Collado Panduro; Sergio Gonzales Egusquiza (2020).
Pobreza Y Medios De Subsistencia En La Amazonía Peruana En Tiempos De La Covid-19 Journal of Latin American Geography 19(3).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/760940
1301 Jerónimo Ríos Sierra (2020).
Una aproximación (geo)politológica a la crisis de la COVID-19 en América Latina Journal of Latin American Geography 19(3).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/760939
1023 Robert B. Kent (2012).
La geografía en América Latina: Visión por países Journal of Latin American Geography 11(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/470642
911 Rosa Silvia Arciniega (2012).
Participación de Mujeres en el Mercado Laboral del Estado de México Journal of Latin American Geography 11(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/470633
Os Artigos Português Mais Populares da JLAG por Solicitações Desde 2010
1681 Rogério Haesbaert (2020).
Território(s) numa perspectiva latino-americana Journal of Latin American Geography 19(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/744032
1572 Luciene Cristina Risso; Clerisnaldo Rodrigues de Carvalho (2022).
A exibição de antipolíticas indígenas e ambientais orquestrada pelo governo brasileiro de Bolsonaro Journal of Latin American Geography 21(2).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/863335
1308 Joana Salém Vasconcelos (2021).
Cuba, protestos e caminhos da revolução Journal of Latin American Geography 20(3).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/835650
949 Laura Sarmiento (2016).
JLAG Perspectives: Vida, Conhecimento e Território: uma geobiografia do Carlos Walter Porto-Gonçalves Journal of Latin American Geography 15(3).
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743 Joseli Maria Silva; Marcio Jose Ornat (2020).
Geografias feministas na América Latina: desafios epistemológicos e a decolonialidade de saberes Journal of Latin American Geography 19(1).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/744044
475 Jessica Budds; Martha G. Bell; John C. Finn; Jörn Seemann; Eugenio Arima; Gabriela Valdivia (2023).
Language, Translation, and the Practice of Decolonizing Academic Publishing / Lengua, traducción y la práctica de la descolonización de las publicaciones académicas / Linguagem, tradução e a prática de descolonização das publicações acadêmicas Journal of Latin American Geography 22(2).
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/909083
283 Christian Dennys Monteiro de Oliveira; Fabrício Américo Ribeiro; Ivo Luis Oliveira Silva; Luiz Raphael Teixeira Silva; José Arilson Xavier de Souza; Gerlaine Cristina Franco; Marcos da Silva Rocha; Maryvone Moura Gomes; Camila Benatti (2020).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/760909
213 Vinicius Santos Almeida (2020).
Necromobilidade durante a pandemia da Covid-19 Journal of Latin American Geography 19(3).
http://muse.jhu.edu/article/760907
160 Antoinette M.G.A. WinklerPrins (2009).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/260547
122 Jean-Yves Puyo (2008).
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http://muse.jhu.edu/article/232499