THE PERCEPTION OF PROTECTED LANDSCAPE AREAS

The nature and landscape conservation is often the subject of discussion, especially in the context of regional development. In additions to conservationists and representatives of public authorities, there is a group of people that does not agree with declaring of conservation in territory which could be potentially declared as Protected Landscape Areas (PLAs) and its surroundings. This often leads to emotional debates full of counter-arguments. The declaration of the Soutok PLA could be a proof of the long-standing dispute over the nature conservation. The article deals with the analysis of documents, interviews and opinions that was found through the qualitative research (Hendl, 2012). The results point the fact that the residents living in the PLAs, which are already declared, perceive the territorial protection positively. The perceptions and attitudes to protected areas have been identified as a key factor for its successful management. The problem of the counter-arguments is that there was no tradition of participating and there was poor knowledge and poor communication between the conservationists and stakeholders.