*4.4. Current Governance Outcome*

The main achievement of the governance platform to date has been the successful proposal of a new land use plan for the DFA forest park. In accordance with recent scientific research findings, all parties have agreed to designate the central part of the park as an ecological corridor connecting protected areas in the Central Mountain Range and the East Coastal Mountain Range. The area outside the corridor is to be used primarily for more intensive economic purposes, both consumptive and nonconsumptive, for example, tourism and agroforestry (see Figure 6). This latest blueprint is the result of a sophisticated compromise. The designation of the ecological corridor reflects the call of the proconservation parties, including the Forestry Bureau, citizen scientists, a majority of the Han community organizations, and most researchers. Promoting ecotourism is in line with the policy objectives of the Forestry Bureau and the interests of local communities, both Han and indigenous. The intensification of agricultural use mainly aims to meet the needs of the TSC and indigenous communities. This consensus is based on both scientific findings and local knowledge of land use practice. It also considers the preferences and needs of multiple stakeholders in the social system. On the whole, all parties have made compromises, and each has received some recognition of their concerns.

**Figure 6.** Future land use planning for the DFA forest park. The pink area represents the location of the planned ecological corridor. Source: I-Ming Chen (modified by the author).

Regarding the governance process, the following practices enabled a consensus to be reached. First, years of academic research allowed the discussion to proceed on a solid foundation. Hotspots of wildlife distribution, the economic and social needs of local communities, and differences in the perspectives of different ethnic groups were identified through research. Second, research findings and local knowledge supported stakeholder understanding of the basic information required for decision-making through governance platform meetings. Moreover, with the deliberate effort of major parties, the governance platform meeting included all key types of stakeholders; thus, key opinions could be considered. In the end, the opinions expressed in the governance meeting were fed back to the research team to assist them in revising the preliminary planning concept and making the revised blueprint acceptable to the stakeholders of the governance platform meeting. More precisely, compared with the previous governance model, the governance platform adopted was more participatory, deliberative, and knowledge-based. These characteristics facilitated the formation of a consensus among the stakeholders.
