Soidensuojelun osallistaminen ympäristöpolitiikan kokeiluna

This paper presents a case study of state-driven deliberation as a form of environmental governance ex- perimentation. The paper addresses the participatory processes during the drafting of the supplementation programme for mire conservation. The process is analysed as a deliberative experiment in order to develop the governance of mires and peat lands in Finland. Data consists of expert interviews, newspaper articles and drafting documents. We study the precondition of the deliberative process to support experimental culture using qualitative content analysis. We evaluate how and to what extent participatory processes enable elements of experimental culture, such as dialogue, public discussion and learning, and challenge existing policy, institutions and practices. The analysis shows that governance experiments may succeed as long as they are applied to situations that are free of political conflict. In this case democratic principles and nature conservation objectives acted as limiting factors to the experimental culture which links our study to the broader critique of transformations of democracy.