The Snøhetta wild reindeer area was among the areas that received a red light in the Norwegian Environment Agency’s quality standard for wild reindeer. This means that the condition of the wild reindeer in the area is classified as too poor. Now the local wild reindeer committee is proposing drastic measures to take care of the wild reindeer. They believe the musk is a large part of the reason why the Snøhetta reindeer got a red light. SNØHETTA: The iconic mountain is one of Norway’s most famous peaks. Here, the wild reindeer committee believes that the musk deer must give way to wild reindeer. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news The wild reindeer committee includes landowners and rights holders. They are one of several bodies that are involved in the management of the wild reindeer and, among other things, closely follow the development of the population. They present their point of view as input to the action plan for the Snøhetta wild reindeer area. During the year and early next year, there will be a notification to the Storting for all wild reindeer areas in Norway to ensure the species’ living conditions. A lot of traffic due to musk – It is not the musk itself that is the problem, but all the human traffic into the winter grazing areas of the reindeer, which the musk generates. This is according to the secretary of the Snøhetta wild reindeer committee and general manager of Sunndal Fjellstyre, Bjørn Sæther. Snøhetta is one of the most important wild reindeer areas in Norway, because there is an original wild reindeer tribe there. That’s what Vegard Gundersen, who is a researcher at NINA, says. At Hjerkinn, it is a very important passage for the wild reindeer when they have to move from the winter to the summer pasture. There it can be disturbed by a lot of traffic. RED LIGHT: When the quality standard for wild reindeer came in last year, six out of ten areas were red flagged. Among other things, the Snøhetta area does not meet the requirements for the kind of conditions the wild reindeer should have. Photo: SCREEN DUMP/REPORT FROM NINA Gundersen says that the proposal to remove the muskrat sounds very drastic, and the reasons why the area has been red-tagged are fragmented. Although he thinks things are going well today, he says it is important to reduce traffic in the area. And don’t make the situation worse for the wild reindeer than it is now. The researcher says that the musk attracts a lot of tourists. – It is a major attraction in the area. 70-80 percent of those who enter the area will see the muskrat. It generates a lot of traffic into the reindeer area. An important goal is to reduce traffic in the area. The Wild Reindeer Committee believes that the musk can be released in other mountain areas where there are no wild reindeer. ATTRACTS TOURISTS: The musk on Dovrefjell attracts many tourists, which in turn leads to challenges for the wild reindeer. Photo: Tord Bretten/Statens naturoppsyn They also emphasize that they do not want the muskox to be moved in the first place. – But the wild reindeer is a responsible species for Norway, and in a prioritization of those species, the wild reindeer must be prioritized first and foremost, says Sæther. The committee believes that alternatives to moving the muskrat could be restrictions on guiding muskrats in winter and spring, and a requirement that everyone looking for muskrats must be accompanied by a guide. Wild Reindeer Committee The Wild Reindeer Committee is an association of rights holders and local committees, landowner associations and/or mountain councils. The committee’s main tasks are to organize the rights holders and the hunting exercise, carrying out counts and registrations, drawing up targets for population development, making a plan to achieve the targets and coming up with proposals for annual felling quotas. Every wild reindeer area in Norway has its own wild reindeer committee – Horribly rash Mayor of Dovre municipality, Astrid Skomakerstuen Ruste (independent), thinks the proposal is too drastic. – I think it is terribly rash like this in a first phase when the biggest threat to the wild reindeer is us on two legs. Then we can’t start pitting animal species against each other, she says. WANT MUSK: Mayor Astrid Skomakerstuen Ruste thought it was too drastic to move the musk when there are too many tourists who are the problem. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news She points out that the musk is also important for fauna, diversity and climate. – It is the traffic that needs to be reduced, not our fauna, she says. Dovre municipality has the musk in the municipal coat of arms, but the musk actually has a short history on Dovrefjell. The tribe that is there now has been there since the 1950s. The mayor says the residents of the municipality identify somewhat with the musk. – We are calm, reliable and hard-nosed and rally around when it matters, she says. Negative for the tourism industry Dovre og Lesja Aktiv is one of many companies that have had good income from musk safaris in recent years. In addition, tourism provides many overnight stays for other tourist companies in the area. Managing director Rune Nørstegard is not surprised that the proposal to move the musk is coming. He believes the proposal will really have a big effect for the wild reindeer. But that it also comes with an aftertaste. – Of course it will have a very negative effect on the tourism industry in the Dovre and Oppdals region, he says. THREATENED: The reindeer’s situation at Snøhetta is characterized as bad. Measures will now be drawn up to take care of the wild reindeer population. Photo: Runar Tufto Nørstegard emphasizes that musk safari is the only activity they do that gives a return to develop other products. He also believes that mosque tourism is a unique arena to talk about nature and let people experience and understand connections. – What we do is very good for building respect and understanding for nature. Instead of moving the muskox, Nørstegard believes there is another way to go: – Restrictions on both commercial traffic and general traffic in the national park for visiting tourists, especially in vulnerable periods. Requires Snøheim removed The Wild Reindeer Committee for Snøhetta also has a number of other proposals to improve the living conditions for wild reindeer. Firstly, they will close the Norwegian Tourist Association’s Snøheim cabin. It was reopened against major protests in 2012 after being closed since 1958. The association Bevar Dovrefjell Mellom Istidene tried to stop the reopening of Snøheim by going to court. They believe this would be detrimental to the reindeer tribe. Jan Erik Reiten is head of the property, nature and infrastructure department at the Norwegian Tourist Association (DNT). He believes that the establishment of the cabin received very extensive case management when it was reopened. REINDEER FLOCK: The wild reindeer in Norway is a so-called responsibility species, and the authorities have a special responsibility to look after it. Photo: Geir Olav Slåen – But it was probably not unexpected that this came up again. Then you have to assess this gradually, what will happen in the future, he says. Reiten emphasizes that they hope and believe they can keep Snøheim as an offer for those who use the mountain. Among other things, he believes the bus solution between Hjerkinn and Snøheim works as intended and takes away much of the activity in that area. Wants restrictions on traffic Secondly, the committee also wants a new set of regulations to be introduced which means that the general public’s traffic can be restricted in different periods and areas. “If the conditions warrant it, it should be possible to prohibit traffic during periods when the wild reindeer are extra vulnerable. Here the wild reindeer have priority over everything else,” writes the committee. Mayor Skomakerstuen Ruste believes it is timely that the discussion about Snøheim comes up again and would like to help discuss restrictions on traffic. BRIEF HISTORY: The tribe with musk that is on Dovrefjell now was set out in the 1950s. The reindeer have been in the same area since the end of the last ice age ten thousand years ago. Photo: Tord Bretten/Statens Naturoppsyn – I am absolutely in favor of looking at the public right and looking at how we can manage traffic to a greater extent than what is done now. She believes they have sold their mountain areas terribly cheaply and that this will also make the area more exclusive. The committee will also close several paths, close tourist association cabins and other rental cabins at vulnerable times of the year. They will also regulate bird dog trials, dog sledding and organized tours more strictly.
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Wild reindeer committee will remove the musk from Dovrefjell. Mayor, Astrid Ruste believes it is too hasty. – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
