On 7 January 2011, eight candidate nature parks submitted formal applications to be recognised as parks of national importance. The Ticino region has also entered a second proposal for a national park, the Locarno Park.

The map of Swiss protected areas is being filled in: in addition to the Swiss National Park in the Engadine, there are currently four parks in the management phase (Entlebuch, Sihlwalkd, Thal, Val Müstair).

On 7 January 2011, eight Swiss park management bodies took the next formal step, lodging applications to manage the parks for a 10-year period. Applications were made for eight regional parks:

• Binn Valley Nature Park (Valais)
• Chasseral Regional Park (Berne/Neuchâtel)
• Diemtigtal Nature Park (Berne)
• Ela Park (Graubünden)
• Gantrisch Nature Park (Berne/Fribourg)
• Gruyère Pays d'Enhaut Regional Nature Park (Vaud/Fribourg)
• Aargau Jura Park (Aargau)
• Lake Thun Hohgant Nature Park (Berne)

Democratic process is essential in setting up management bodies for these parks. Parks can only be set up in communes where the majority has voted in favour of the proposal. The Swiss Federal Department of Environment is responsible for evaluating the park applications and is likely to decide by the end of August as to which parks can begin operating in 2012.

It looks as though Switzerland will soon have twelve parks of national importance. Six other parks (Adula, Beverin, Doubs, Vaud Jura, Pfyn-Finges and Val d'Hérens) are currently being set up. Having submitted one proposal for the Adula Park last year, the Ticino region has filed a further application to create a national park in the Locarno area.