– Building a road in a nature reserve leads to major damage to the valuable nature that is there. That’s what Tale Løkeland Ryste says. Together with several others from Nature and Youth, she had turned up at Biltema in Lillehammer to campaign on Friday morning. Friday morning it was known that the government says yes to the new E6 through the Lågendeltaet nature reserve. DISAPPOINTED: Conservationists are disappointed with the government. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news The reserve was protected in 1990 to preserve an important and special wetland area in its natural state. 33 years later, the government agrees to build a new E6 through the conservation area, despite the fact that the Norwegian Environment Agency said no to the development. – It sends a clear signal that the protected area is not insured when you open up for development in such a vulnerable area, says Løkeland Ryste in Nature and Youth. FIGHT FURTHER: Nature and Youth will continue to work to stop the project. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news Continue the fight Even if the government is now in favor of a new four-lane motorway on the E6 past Lillehammer, the battle is not lost yet, believes Nature and Youth. – It came on very quickly, but we are absolutely sure that we will persevere and get the project stopped, take action and work on the case, says Løkeland Ryste. They do not stand alone. There are many critical voices against the development. Several reactions from nature conservation organisations: Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace. – Barth Eide says that there should be a very high threshold for allowing encroachment into protected areas, but at the same time opens up an unnecessary motorway through an essential nature reserve. Then the threshold is not “high”. It does not exist. He adds that the Government in the Hurdal platform states that nature and climate must be framed around all policies. – Opening up hunting for threatened wolves, oil exploration in the ice edge zone and no motorway in a nature reserve is the exact opposite. Bellona: – Barth Eide proclaimed at the nature summit just before Christmas that Norway should protect more nature. Then he went home and drove over the Norwegian Environment Agency on an important nature issue. It clearly shows how weak nature conservation is even today, says head of department Christian Eriksen in Bellona. He believes that with this the government is continuing the practice of ignoring environmental advice, and that they are hollowing out the importance of nature reserves and protected areas. Bellona believes that this is in principle highly objectionable. This is a trend that must be reversed. The Nature Conservancy was established for a reason, says Eriksen. WWF: – Less than eight weeks ago, Espen Barth Eide could celebrate when he, together with the rest of the UN, helped to negotiate and adopt a historic nature agreement in Montreal – an agreement that aims to stop and reverse the loss of nature already within 2030. An agreement to which 196 countries have committed themselves. Then it is a paradox that one of the first things one does at home is to approve the construction of a massive motorway in the middle of a nature reserve. It is simply incomprehensible and embarrassing for a country that likes to call itself an environmental nation. – The promises to the minister that the government will take the new nature agreement seriously and follow him up in a good way at home seem more and more hollow. Soon no one will believe that climate and nature will be framed around all politics, as Ap and Sp agree in the Hurdalsplattforma, says secretary general of the WWF Verdsnaturfondet Karoline Andaur. The Norwegian Nature Conservancy: The government should drive over nature, and push through a new four-lane motorway at 110 km/h through the nature reserve Lågendeltaet. – The celebratory speeches after the nature summit in Montreal sound very hollow when the government does not even manage to take care of the areas which already have the strictest protection of the law. Building new, four-lane motorways through our richest natural areas is completely contrary to all goals for nature conservation, says Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Nature Conservation Association. – Unfortunately, we are not surprised. There are so many interests in getting this road. There are billions at stake, so we are not surprised, says Torbjørn Dahl in Lågendeltaet’s friends. NOT SURPRISED: Torbjørn Dahl in the Lågendelta’s friends are not surprised that the government says yes to the new E6 through the Lågendelta. – But the fact that the decision of the Norwegian Environment Agency was set aside in such a light-hearted way is surprising, he says. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news – We will continue to follow, and we are ready to do things. We have discussed this with civil disobedience. – Good day Among those who, on the other hand, cheered the message from the government, were mayors in Gudbrandsdalen and Ringsaker. – This is a very good day for Lillehammer, and it is also a victory for the environment. We need to take care of both people, birds and fish, and I think we do better with this solution than the current solution, says Ingunn Trosholmen (Ap), mayor of Lillehammer. The mayor has recently worked hard to gain support in the government. She is happy that they listened to the local voices. MAYOR: Ingunn Trosholmen (Ap), mayor of Lillehammer, agrees that protection should be strong, but that one must look at the integrity of a nature reserve. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news The government’s goal is to be able to build the road with more mitigating measures against nature than what was in the original plan. – We plan to build a road through the original route, but with a series of mitigating measures that will go far beyond what was in the original plan, says Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap). – The idea is that nature will come out better overall. After thorough assessments, we came to the conclusion that doing nothing is actually not an option. Extending the existing road, which is overloaded, is not better for nature. Maybe even worse, he says. The Minister for Climate and the Environment emphasizes that changes to the protection regulations will not take place until the mitigating measures are finally clarified and settled. MEASURES: Doing nothing is not an option, believes Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap). Photo: Martin Fønnebø / news Local ornithologists have already drawn up a list of measures that can make the Lågen Delta better for bird life. Among other things, they believe that laying high-voltage lines into the bridge to avoid bird collisions could be one of the measures, but also to have a reduced speed limit at night to spare the migratory birds. They also believe that there should be light and noise screening on both the new bridge, but also the existing one, and that extending the traffic ban in the reserve’s core area should be among the mitigating measures that are now up for discussion. news is aware that the mayor of Lillehammer has used this list in several meetings she has had with the ministries. Divided opinions Annie Haavemoen lives on the east side of Lågen and can have the bridge right onto her property. She is disappointed with the government. – We need time to digest and familiarize ourselves with what kind of changes the government is going for. It is a tragedy for nature, and a complete lack of backbone from Barth Eide who at the same time boasts of a new, international conservation plan, says Haavemoen to news. A little further south in Lillehammer, the village committee rejoices. – This is a big day for us. We have fought for this for many years, and we are very grateful, says Asle Birkeland, leader of the Vingar village committee. The district of Vingar is located close to the Lågendelta, and according to the head of the village committee, has been plagued by a lot of traffic, airborne dust and traffic-dangerous situations. – We finally get safe local roads, less through traffic in our residential area, says Birkeland. Lots of emotions Commentator in newspaper GD, Jostein Hernæs, sums up the day as a day with lots of emotions. – Some have celebrated a victory, and some feel genuine sorrow. It’s a bit of everything. He believes the government’s yes to the new E6 over the Lågendelta is a victory for politics, but also a small victory for those who have fought the battle for the environment. – Although today it feels like a defeat, there is an ambition for the environment in the government’s decision. It would not have been possible without the fight they have fought, says Hernæs.
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Conservationists rage against E6-ja – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
