3. Cinsbu-Xinguang Case Study
3.5. Management of the Cypress Forest as Tourism CPR
3.5. Management of the Cypress Forest as Tourism CPR
The economic changes in Cinsbu-Xinguang had brought about the need for the villagers to use land beyond the demarcated areas of the indigenous reserve land. For instance, in the 1970s and 1980s, they needed to grow mushrooms in the forest in order to earn an income. This led to clashes between the villagers and forest wardens of the Forestry Bureau. There were confrontations between the mushroom growers and the wardens, and sometimes the growers, if caught, lost their crops and were taken into custody. Some of the younger villagers took the law into their own hands and threatened the safety of the wardens. The clashes decreased once fruit growing largely replaced mushroom growing, only to recur again in the late 1990’s, when Cinsbu-Xinguang intended to manage the cypress forest, the key tourism resource, which is part of the national forest, so as to enhance the community economy through developing tourism in the late 1990’s (Hsiao, 2008).
Due to these confrontations over the years with the Forest Bureau, the villagers became sensitive to resistance issues. That’s why, in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, when many social movements were active across Taiwan, Cinsbu-Xinguang villagers sympathized with and took an active part in them. Pastor Atung, the activist pastor of Cinsbu Presbyterian Church, led the villagers in protests that called for the return of the land and the cessation of logging by the Forest Bureau, for example (Hsiao, 2008).
Today, the forest is primarily the property of the state, according to Taiwanese law. Using resources in the national forest for private use, without the approval of the forest authority, is illegal.
Taiwan’s Forest Bureau is the entity that manages the national forests and its resources. Atayal people can only rely on the resource within the ‘Indigenous Reserve Land’, usually surrounded by national forest. However, the forest area surrounding Cinsbu-Xinguang is their Qyunang – the traditional territory managed by each specific Atayal community. The cypress forest is part of it (Hsiao, 2008).
“If people would like to understand Tayal people's governance view of CPRs, gaga is the basic starting point to understand them” (Yen & Chen, 2013: 57). Traditionally, agriculture work relied upon natural resources, thus Atayal people establish cooperative regulation to decrease possible conflict of resources use. Each person should constraint their own behavior, as this impacts other community members' harvest. Thus, when one would violate a gaga value or regulation, disaster would fall on all gaga members, not just on the violator. As such, the Tourism CPR is managed in
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accordance to gaga and protection of natural resources. Following Atayal tradition rather than only modern state regulations strengthen the cooperation between villagers (Yen & Kuan, 2004; Yen
& Chen, 2013). After years of tourism work, the tourism industry has influenced the gaga related to tourism. B&Bs tell their guests what to do and what not to do (e.g. sing loud karaoke after 10pm, not set fire in the forest, etc) (Interviews 7 & 8).
Hsiao (2008) shared insights from his interviews of the community. For several times in the 1990’s, the Forest Bureau approached the community in order to provide financial support to build a trail intro the cypress forest for tourists, but the community would not accept it. That is because of the planned use of construction materials outside the qyunang. It was perceived to spoil Cinsbu. The villagers insisted that a trail should be built in accordance to Atayal knowledge, an ‘ecological engineering’,22 which would be more sustainable than the methods of the Forest Bureau (Hsiao, 2008).
From the interviews that were conducted (especially interview 9), it seems that there is no separate system to manage the walking trails in the forest. They are still discussing this issue and yet to reach an agreement on its management. Previously, Atayal Community Sustainable Development Association and Mknazi Tourism Association were developing and operating the trails, but they do not do so anymore. However, the walking trails area are part of the qyunang and therefor are being maintained an managed as will be detailed according to Ostrom’s essential elements for successful CPR arrangements (Ostrom, 1990: 90).23
3.5.1. Clearly defined boundaries
The clearly defined boundaries are according to Atayal traditional territory customary law, qyunang, rather than the national law. The national law separates private land from public land only. In that sense, the forest area is considered as a national forest. However, the community is the de-facto manager of the area.
22 “Ecological engineering method is to use local materials, is to stop outside construction materials from coming into the forest. We don't bend to those governmental institutions. It is not that we are arrogant. We are the ones who live here. We know well what should be done and not to be done in this place. The elders teach us all of this. The Forestry Bureau has been dominant in all indigenous communities. But we don't comply with their money. If they insisted on their way of doing things, we would rather not take their money and wait for another opportunity to build the path.
We are poor but we have backbone” (AW as quoted in Hsiao, 2008).
23 As the 8th principal by Ostrom is relevant for CPRs that are parts of larger systems, this principal is not addressed in the case studies.
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3.5.2. Congruence between appropriation and provision rules and local conditions
The rules governing the management of the CPR should be tailored to its characteristics. No single set of rules will work for all CPRs and not even for all CPRs of a particular type, such as forests or fisheries. In this sense, although de-jure the CPR is a national forest in the purview of the Forest Bureau, the community is the de-facto manager of the CPR and thus the rules governing the CPR are the customary rules of gaga.
3.5.3. Collective-choice arrangements
Ideally, most of the people involved and affected by the rules governing a CPR should be able to take part in changing them. In this case, the adaption of gaga plays this role. Gaga is asserted by a constant change of social interactions. However, this means that there is no structured instruction for collective-choice arrangements to affect the gaga as it develops more in a natural way, as do other customary laws.
3.5.4. Monitoring
The monitoring of the forest is done as a whole under gaga, without a formalized monitoring of the CPR.In Cinsbu-Xinguang. If there is a big natural event, such as typhoon, then community members will go and check the path. When community members venture into the forest area, whether guiding tourist or for other reasons, and notice any issue will either fix it immediately or inform about the issue. Also, if B&B owners hear from their customers of any issue then they will take care of it.
3.5.5. Graduated sanctions
Sanctions are part of the conflict resolution mechanism, but do not have clear details on graduated sanctions.
3.5.6. Conflict resolution mechanisms
Graduated sanctions would include the direct confrontation with the violator, by the community member who saw the violation, as well as intervene of the elders in the case. If more extreme cases, the community would call the police to intervene. From the interviews, it was understood that this had happen many times.
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3.5.7. Minimal recognition of the rights to organize
Powerful organizations outside the local community, such as national governments, must not interfere with the rights of the appropriators of a CPR to organize. In that sense, much has changed over the years. Although the Taiwanese law states that the forest is primarily the property of the state, the forest area surrounding Cinsbu-Xinguang is their traditional territory (Qyunang), which the government give a de-facto autonomy the manage nowadays. This has not been the case a decade or two ago.
In May 2018, the Ministry of the Interior announced the adoption of a unique action plan for Cinsbu-Xinguang. This is Taiwan’s first specific area program which will officially incorporate the Atayal gaga in the governmental land planning program. It is set to be a pilot, and if successful, would have a huge influence on execution of similar land use programs across Taiwan (UDN, 2018).
3.5.8. Results from the questioners
87% of the questionnaire respondents are involved in managing or taking care of the Cypress Trees trail. Questions concerning their involvement in management of the Cypress Trees trail - whether community members have been involved in meetings and were informed about decisions made – show that the majority (88%, 88%, respectively) are involved and informed. In more details, 58%
are frequently involved in meetings, 30% were involved once or twice, and 12% were not involved in such meetings. 51% were usually informed when major decisions concerning tourism development took place, 37% were informed once or twice, and 12% have never been informed (see figure 6 & 7).
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Figure 6: Involvement in meetings discussing the Tourism CPR management (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
Figure 7: Being informed of major decisions regarding the Tourism CPR management (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Yes, many times Yes, once or twice No, never
Have you been inolved in any type of meeting where you discussed the management of the Cypress Trees trail?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Yes, many times Yes, once or twice No, never
When major decisions concerning management of the Cypress Trees trail took place, were you informed?
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Figure 8: Satisfaction with current Tourism CPR management system (Cinsbu-Xinguang) 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Strongly dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied Satisfied Strongly Satisfied
Satisfaction with current management system of the Cypress Trees trail (3.2)
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3.6: Cinsbu-Xinguang Community Participation in Tourism
“Most of the people of Cinsbu-Xinguang are involved in tourism. Some own B&Bs, some have restaurants, some provide cultural activities, guiding, and transportation. To a certain degree, all are involved in tourism” (interview 7).
However, the survey shows that 34% of the community is not involved in tourism (see figure 9), and that the general division of work is such that tourism only plays 15% of daily life, compared to 24% of house work, and 54% of farming. This shows that farming is still the main economic activity in Cinsbu-Xinguang.
Figure 9: Division of roles in daily life (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
54%
15%
24%
7%
Cinsbu-Xinguang: division of roles in daily life
Farming Tourism House work Other
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Table 4: Involvement in tourism (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
Question Answer # %
Are you involved in CBT? No 15 34%
Accommodation/B&B 24 55%
Cooking/restaurant 18 41%
Guiding services 17 39%
Community tours 14 32%
Cultural activities 15 34%
Shop 6 14%
Transportation 13 30%
Other* 2 5%
* Farming, 文物講說
Length of involvement in tourism was also looked at. 23% were involved in tourism less than one year, 23% were involved for 1-3 years, 18% for 4-6 years, 10% were involved for 7 to 9 years, and 28% were involved in tourism for more than 9 years.
Figure 10: Length of involvement in tourism (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Above 9 years 7 to 9 years 4-6 years 1-3 years Less than 1 year
Cinsbu-Xinguang: Length of involvement in tourism
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Questions concerning community members’ involvement in tourism planning - whether community members have been involved in meetings and were informed about tourism development – show that the majority (82%, 86%, respectively) are involved and informed. In more details, 34% are frequently involved in meetings, 48% were involved once or twice, and 18%
were not involved in such meetings. 40% were usually informed when major decisions concerning tourism development took place, 46% were informed once or twice, and 14% have never been informed (see figure 11 & 12).
Figure 11: Involvement in meetings discussing the tourism development (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Yes, many times Yes, once or twice No, never
Have you been involved in any type of meeting where you discussed tourism development in your community?
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Figure 12: Being informed of major decisions concerning tourism (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
In Cinsbu-Xinguang, agricultural plays the major role in daily life, especially on weekdays, while spending more time for tourism work on weekends or national holidays. This is an important factor that will be discussed more in Chapter 5.
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Yes, many times Yes, once or twice No, never
When major decisions concerning tourism development in your community, were you informed?
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3.7: Cinsbu-Xinguang Perception of Benefit Distribution from Tourism
It was mentioned in the theoretical framework that most studies stress the importance of equitable distribution benefits. There are different ways to distribute incomes and benefits from CBT though the community, and this is very difficult to measure accurately. Perception of benefit distribution, or satisfaction with the benefit distribution, is something that is easier to measure. This research refers to the later, perception of distribution of benefits from tourism.
In the questionnaire, it was stressed that “benefit” refers to a range of benefits (economic benefit, social benefit, cultural benefit, etc.) and not only the economic benefit. The first part included statements regarding the distribution of benefits, of which the mean shows the villages neither agree or disagree. The statement that was closed to be agreed with, was “not everyone needs to be involved in tourism”, with a mean of 3.55 on a Likert scale (3 = Neither agree or disagree; 4 = Agree) (see table 5).
In regards to social circles of the tourism benefit, we see that most respondents (71%) agree that people in the larger family are receive benefits from tourism (see figure 13).
Table 5: Tourism benefit distrbution statements (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
Statement Mean Min Max
Only some community members benefit from tourism 3.45 1 5 All community members enjoy from the benefits of tourism in
Smangus
3.38 1 5
Community members that do not take part in the tourism industry also get financial benefits from tourism
3.29 1 5
Income from tourism does not stay only with B&Bs and restaurants, but also goes to farmers
3.29 1 5
Benefits from tourism are distributed as it should be 2.93 1 5
Not everyone needs to be involved in tourism 3.55 1 5
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Figure 13: Perceived sharing of benefit (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
When asked directly about the satisfaction with benefits, 45% are satisfied with the economic benefits received from tourism in relation to effort, with 14% dissatisfied, and the rest (41%) neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. In regards to satisfaction with the social benefits received from tourism in relation to effort, 41% are satisfied, 7% dissatisfied, and 52% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. As for satisfaction with cultural benefits received from tourism in relation to effort, 46% are satisfied and 14% dissatisfied, with 40% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (see figures 14, 15, and 16, respectively).
Answering the question about satisfaction with the current distribution of tourism benefit, we see that 25% are not satisfied (with 9% strongly dissatisfied) and 40% satisfied (with 7% strongly satisfied). 35% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (see chart 17).
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Taiwan as a whole Atayal People Your whole community Your larger family People in your immediate family You personally
How much benefit does tourism bring to:
A lot Some Very little
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Figure 14:Satisfaction with the economic benefits received from tourism in relation effort (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
Figure 15: Satisfaction with the social benefits received from tourism in relation effort (Cinsbu-Xinguang) 0%5%
10%15%
20%25%
30%35%
40%45%
50%
Strongly dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied Satisfied Strongly Satisfied
Satisfaction with the economic benefits received from tourism in relation effort (3.31)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Strongly dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied Satisfied Strongly Satisfied
Satisfaction with the social benefits received from tourism in relation effort (3.41)
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Figure 16: Satisfaction with the cultural benefits received from tourism in relation effort (Cinsbu-Xinguang)
Figure 17: Satisfaction with current distribution of tourism benefits (Cinsbu-Xinguang) 0%
Strongly dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied Satisfied Strongly Satisfied
Satisfaction with the cultural benefits received from tourism in relation effort (3.41)
0%
Strongly dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied Satisfied Strongly Satisfied
Satisfaction with current distribution of tourism benefits (3.12)
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