**3. Results**

### *3.1. The Inner Area Policy as a Beacon for Development*

The targeted analysis results enlighten the nature of Lucania Apennine peripherical and ultra-peripherical areas and focus on the relevance of the Park as a beacon in local development policies.

Distance far from metropolitan contexts, as a weakness, and high-level quality of life of inner areas, as a strength, are the main strategic resources for a disruptive and radical vision: In this context, a nature protection framework needs to connect to social and economic policies in order to innovate the approach to local development in the medium-long term, starting from innovative actions in a new—and sustainable—development chain composed by climate change response, rural economy, soil consumption reduction, and resilient approach [32–34].

The new vision implicates networking among the towns, update of infrastructures, re-negotiation of energy production model, as a more complete regenerative capacity for social, economic, and production tissues [35].

The Lucania Apennine Park can strive to [36,37] become an antifragile community, better and stronger than before the crisis, able to promote a non-dissipative circular metabolism, to climate change proof and maintain biophysical and socio-economic balances, alongside the urgen<sup>t</sup> need to improve collaboration between users and supply chains, acting as a circular habitat instead of an unsustainable consuming one. The starting point is clear: People feel the ethical responsibility for protection and innovation, as in Figure 4.

**Figure 4.** A peculiar welcome to the National Park. A welcome to mountain lovers and an otherwise strong vade retro to its enemies: In a glance, for Lucania Apennine inhabitants, the mountain is a sacred place to be protected.

The Lucania Apennines Park Plan, therefore, manages the territory involved for long-term uses, facilitating the change of functions where necessary, as a more efficient alternative in terms of carbon emissions. A commitment is needed so that the extension of the life cycle of existing human and natural habitats becomes a new or renewed opportunity to strengthen the relationship between communities and territories through environmental sustainability and resilience.

### *3.2. Interpretation for Drawing a Regeneration Flagship Project*

As a consequence of the new vision for the Lucania Apennines National Park, natural and cultural heritage promotion strategies have started selecting local resources relevant to promoting and enhancing the Park's identity. The interpretative relationships among the community, the park, and the experts are the basis to start a completely new regeneration process. However, the vision requires designing and implementing new flagship projects.

Therefore, the research group has drawn a development model, based on two widely known models:


The result is an 'interpretation plan model' based on specific knowledge that divides the Park in landscape contexts, homogeneous in natural, historical, and urban aspects. The model is drafted through four steps:


The 'interpretation plan' is also a communication strategy, activated within the regulatory context: It constrains the existing naturalistic, cultural, and landscape resources, and proposes all the methods useful for valorization, such as communication strategy, educational activities, and structures capable of taking up the challenges of communication in the field of the protection of resources [41]. It is expressed as a methodology for making the strategic framework that contributes to the achievement of landscape quality objectives.

The core of the interpretation plan is the recognizing of landscape units: The landscape assessment has produced six landscape units, in which a specific identity typifies and distinguishes the places. These units are:


The landscape units include the whole Park, while the 'interpretation plan' needs otherwise to select some beacon landscapes that are selected places for promotion and regeneration activities, such as Brienza landscape hub, Pignola lake and wetland, Viggiano Holy Mountain, Laurenzana fir wood, Grumentum Archaeological Park, and Pertusillo Lake. They are not in hierarchical order with the six units but would represent relevant examples of the Park identity.

In accordance with the regulatory and zoning aspects aimed at the protection of National Park environment, this work step ends with the selection of an interpretation theme summarized in the expression 'wilderness': Actually, also where nature is 'artificial' as in the case of Pertusillo lake, it is capable of conceptually, perceptually, and structurally prevailing over anthropic presence.

The interpretation plan for the Park, therefore, is not sub-articulated into units, which could fragment and pulverize the interpretation theme, but aims at communicating and enhancing the landscape contexts defined and identified within a functional scheme in which the natural and cultural resources, the infrastructure network, and the leisure facilities are connected by slow mobility network.

### **4. Discussion: How to Balance Environment Preservation and Community Development? A 'Cluster Approach' for Circular Regeneration**

The peculiar components in the National Park environment have created a deep reflection on the operative way to implement the development paradigm shift proposed in targeted research results, in discussions both with local communities, stakeholders, and national/regional government, in order to balance the preservation duty and the development opportunities.

This is more difficult if we consider the rub between preservation and crude oil extraction activities: In a simplistic view of development strategy, preservation and development are on opposite sides. According to circular metamorphosis paradigm, this is not true if we consider a development strategy based on the environment and cultural capital stock.

On the basis of current trends in the National Park and referring to the theoretical framework as above described, we are absolutely convinced that only a new approach can reset an effective social and economic development in Lucania Apennines.

The concept we have proposed to National Park Authority is a 'cluster approach' as in Figure 5: The metaphor, such as in UN and non-UN organization disaster response networks, means the necessity of an integrated approach to environment-based local development.

**Figure 5.** The 'cluster strategy' for environment-based local development. The nature sanctuaries and wild areas are reached through a door, often a visitor center, and they are connected with historical centers, archaeological parks, ski areas, accommodation facilities, and other local services.

In other words, one or a small group of local stakeholders has a chance to develop an interpretation plan, starting from a local cluster composed of some local components, updating it to the next level in a fertile circular process able to achieve transcalarity and reticularity.

Main resources are the wild areas—the A zones in National Park zoning map—where the plan decides upon the limited level of use, and accessibility is limited. Some of these areas have tourist activities or sanctuaries inside or in close proximity and, where it will be possible, the plan establishes places for interpretation and dissemination. These areas can be crossed and used in accordance with the Park regulations, but the mere experience of the place, through the paths, can guarantee the visitor will understand the experience of Wild Nature that the Plan is inspired by. Capturing CO2 is the first strategic and interpretative mission of these areas.

In the field of the interpretation approach, we propose an action plan composed by a set of integrated policies and actions:


In 2018 and 2019, the National Park Authority organized some engagemen<sup>t</sup> activities: A photo competition for kids and students to attract interest of young people, and three technical meetings with the local stakeholders to explain and amend the plan strategies and rules. During the meetings, the stakeholders were divided in five groups focused on the geographical areas of the National Park and their issues: The results of participation meetings more and more confirmed that the community is, and should continue to be, engaged in environment-oriented development in Lucania Apennines and now the Park is waiting for the official approval by National Park Community.
