– This is a very lush, idyllic and beautiful area. The natural state and geology are very distinctive. The area is protected against all types of encroachment. That’s why I’m looking at this seriously, says Rune Mikkelsen in the Statens naturoppsyn (SNO). He is responsible for keeping an eye on Folgefonna National Park. – There are very strict rules against doing anything there. Folgefonna National Park lies between the Hardangerfjord in the west, the Sørfjord in the east and the Åkrafjord in the south. Farthest south, the conservation area stretches along the Mosnese river all the way down to the fjord. On the path along the river, blasting and digging have been carried out inside the national park. Visualization: Anders Nøkling But above the roadless cottage hamlet Mosnes, it has now been discovered that someone has blasted and dug in Mosdalen within the national park boundary. Mikkelsen went on a sight-seeing trip. – On the path along the Mosnese River, blasting work was carried out in stone and blockstone along and on the path. It was also drilled and prepared for further blasting. The landowners in Mosdalen have, without a permit, blown away rocks on the path inside the Folgefonna National Park. Photo: Rune Mikkelsen / SNO Intervention is forbidden A national park is a larger area protected to take care of important natural values, and to limit human activity and development. For example, digging, filling, blasting and quarrying of stone is prohibited in the national park. In all Norwegian protected areas, you must apply to both the municipality and the conservation authorities if you want to intervene. The landowners in Mosdalen had applied neither to Folgefonna National Park Board nor to Etne municipality. Rune Mikkelsen in the State Nature Inspectorate reacts to the blasting and digging work in the national park. Photo: SNO The State Nature Inspectorate has now reported the landowner to the police, for breaching the Natural Diversity Act and the conservation regulations for Folgefonna National Park. – This area is strictly protected. We take the message from SNO seriously and will investigate the matter. That’s according to investigation manager Sjur Stava at the North Sea and environment section of the Sørvest police district. The path along the Mosnese river bears witness to the fact that it was made many years ago, for stilt driving and arching to the mountains. – The cultural history is certainly present, says Mikkelsen in SNO. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Folgefonna Folgefonna is the third largest glacier in Norway. It is located on the large peninsula between Hardangerfjorden, Sørfjorden and Åkrafjorden. The glacier consists of three larger glaciers: Nordfonna, Midtfonna and Sørfonna. In addition, there are many small ones, which together with the three big ones cover an area of 207 km2. Folgefonna has been an attraction for tourists since 1833. Folgefonna National Park was established in 2005. Both inside and outside the park there are several icefalls and glacier tongues, rough-hewn valleys and cascading rivers with ice-green meltwater. The measurements show that the glacier is almost 580 meters at its thickest, and at the highest point an average of 5,500 mm of precipitation fell each year. Farthest south, the national park stretches from the glacier plateau 1,600 meters above sea level and all the way down to the sea’s edge: along the Mosnese river which flows into the Åkrafjorden. Source: Folgefonna National Park – Sees many illegalities every year Digging and blasting on the path at Mosnes is part of a rather grim statistic. The Norwegian Environment Agency – to which SNO is subject – has since 2019 reported 330 cases to the police for breaches of the Natural Diversity Act. Most of the cases concern interventions in protected areas. – SNO comes across quite a few illegalities of various kinds every year, says Trond Flydal, head of the legal section in the Norwegian Environment Agency. Interventions in protected areas can be illegal roads, digging, blasting, illegal buildings, illegal motor traffic. According to Flydal, it is mainly private individuals who break the Natural Diversity Act and the conservation regulations. Among other things, the landowners have removed a rock over which the path passed. Photo: Rune Mikkelsen / SNO Two cases a week Private individuals, municipalities and others can also report encroachments into protected areas to the police. In response to questions from news, Økokrim has prepared an overview of cases since 2020. On average, the police have received over 1.9 cases a week in the almost four years. According to Mikkelsen, illegal interventions are rarer in the Folgefonna area. – This is a national park which fortunately does not have so many cases, compared to other conservation areas and national parks. He mentions Hardangervidda as an example where user interests and traffic are greater and more often come into conflict with protection. On the path along the river up from Mosnes, the landowners have dug and blasted rocks within the border of the national park. Photo: Jan Rabben Fines for encroachment into Norwegian protected areas Since 1 January 2020, Økokrim has registered 377 cases concerning encroachment into Norwegian protected areas. 135 of the cases were in landscape conservation areas, 129 cases in national parks, 111 cases in nature reserves, and 2 concerned natural monuments. Among the police districts, the most cases were registered in South-East (66), South-West (51) and Agder (49), and the fewest in Møre and Romsdal (6), Troms (12) and Finnmark (12). Altogether, fines of over NOK 2.5 million have been issued in a total of 167 cases since 2020. Six fines were of NOK 100,000 or more. The smallest fine was NOK 3,500. The vast majority of the 167 fines were given as suggestions which were accepted. Two cases still in indictment and verdict, seven cases still in charge and confession verdict, and one case was decided after appeal in the 2nd instance. The statistics from Økokrim apply to the period 1.1.2020-5.10.2023. Wanted to make the path safer The landowner has explained to the national park manager that the purpose of the work is “to make the path safer for people who have poor mobility”. Magne Langåker is the leader of the cooperative that has been responsible for the work. He says there are eight families who own the valley. They started the work a couple of years ago. – It is our property. I have looked after it for all these years. We are proud of the valley and our history. Our intention was to take care of the trail, for the enjoyment of all who walk there. It is very uneven, roughly built, and exposed to wear and tear, he says to news. – Did they think that blasting inside the national park was okay? – I had no idea that this was illegal. In retrospect, I understand that, but I didn’t think about it. This is what the path looks like where the landowners have leveled it. – It has been a tradition that we have kept the path in good condition, says Magne Langåker. Photo: Magne Langåker – For years there has been a continuous battle against the river to maintain a path along the valley. – An assault on us Langåker says the vast majority of the work was quite ordinary maintenance work with pickaxe and spade. And that they have used magic, not dynamite. Now all the stones with boreholes are not to be removed. – Some of us may have been a bit eager there. We have now removed the cones and will fill the hole with sand. He is critical of the lack of information from the governing authorities. – We are a new generation of owners. We could have been guided and informed about the protection rules. Now the State Nature Inspectorate has reported us to the police without dialogue with us. This was perceived as a slight assault. And the governing authorities have shown no interest in securing traffic in the valley. SNO: – Someone is pulling the strings The Norwegian Environment Agency denies that the rules are unknown or unclear. – You can find an answer if you just check the rules that apply to the individual conservation area, says Flydal. – But as elsewhere in society, there is always someone who tries to stretch the rope a little too far, although that does not necessarily apply in this case, says Mikkelsen.
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– Had no idea this was illegal – news Vestland
