Lesotho has made significant strides to develop economically, politically and ecologically. In persuit of this agenda, the governance of the country's natural resources have seen significant changes. Many of these changes have been focused on conservation for the sustainability of natural resources and continued support of the local user base but their impacts pose a key challange to local governance in many user communities. This has often resulted in the destruction of the country's natural resources. Using the case of the Sehlabathebe National Park in Qacha's Nek district, we look at the challanges to governance and conservation as they play out at the grassroots level. The discussion attributes these challanges to a clash of ideologies in conservation and governance.