This study aimed to determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for trail maintenance in Chubu-Sangaku National Park and examine how mountaineers’ unique experiences influence their WTP through a Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) survey targeting mountaineers. The analysis estimated the WTP per climb at 2,741 yen. Furthermore, the total willingness to pay (TWTP) for trail maintenance across the entire Chubu-Sangaku National Park was estimated at 954 million to 1.013 billion yen annually. This TWTP was 4.9 times the Ministry of the Environment’s maintenance budget for Chubu-Sangaku National Park and 2.0 times Nagano Prefecture’s natural park maintenance budget. Additionally, mountaineers who had witnessed trail maintenance work showed a WTP 673 yen higher than those who had not. These results indicate that mountaineers place a high value on national park environmental conservation, and this value may increase further through awareness of maintenance work. The findings suggest that making trail maintenance work visible could potentially increase mountaineers’ willingness to pay, providing important implications for designing contribution systems. In the future, it will be necessary to conduct surveys in other mountain areas and to conduct empirical verification of payment behavior with the aim of establishing an actual cooperation fund system. Through such investigations, it is necessary to establish realistic contribution amounts and develop effective funding mechanisms for national park environmental conservation.

The paper examined SATOYAMA conservation efforts through the lens of landscape ecological restoration, contrasting it with traditional nature conservation approaches and delving into its historical context. It also addressed contemporary challenges encountered by organizations engaged in SATOYAMA conservation. To address these challenges, the author suggested repositioning SATOYAMA landscapes as commons and advocating for the engagement of diverse stakeholders to promote well-being through SATOYAMA activities. This new concept, termed “SATOYAMA Well-Being,” offered a fresh perspective on SATOYAMA conservation, presenting it as an alternative to conventional conservation practices focused solely on the conservation of natural environments and organisms.