The matter in summary • Wild reindeer interests in Rondane want to move a popular car park three kilometers away from the national park in order to reduce disturbances for the wild reindeer.• The Spranget car park was established when the national park was established in 1962, and a lot of traffic can scare away the wild reindeer.• The center party, which has a majority in The municipal council is against the move because it will reduce accessibility for most people to this part of Rondane.• Wild reindeer in Norway were assessed as “near threatened” in 2021, and the tribe in Rondane/Dovre is the one with the least genetic interference from domestic reindeer.• All the municipalities around Rondane are to comment on various proposals for wild reindeer measures this autumn.• The conflict over the car park also intervenes in a long-standing conflict about who has the most responsibility for helping the wild reindeer tribe, including proposals to close hiking trails to reduce traffic. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. When Rondane National Park was established in 1962, a “cut” was made close to Mysuseter, so that it was possible to build a large car park right outside the national park. On the map you can clearly see that the national park boundary bends to make room for the car park. CONTROVERSIAL PARKING PLACE: If Spranget is moved 3 km away, the national park can be expanded accordingly, believes the association Bevar villreinen i Rondane.Graphic: Kartverket.no – This bypass would be completely unthinkable if the national park were to be established today, says Terje Kleiven, who is the leader in the association Preserve the wild reindeer in Rondane. He believes the car park leads to so much traffic that it scares away the wild reindeer. – Previously, there was an important wild reindeer movement between the car park and the Rondvassbu tourist cabin. Now the entire vulnerable tribe in Rondane is about to be divided into three different groups, he says. Terje Kleiven, leader of the association Save the Wild Reindeer in Rondane. Photo: Private wild reindeer tribe in danger According to an expert committee, the wild reindeer in Norway in 2021 were assessed as “near threatened.” The committee believes that the wild reindeer tribe in Rondane/Dovre is the one with the least genetic interference from domesticated reindeer. The dispute over the parking space has been going on for many years, and Kleiven’s move triggers strong reactions from the Center Party, which has a clear majority in the municipal council. VULNERABLE: Wild reindeer are a very shy species that often flee if they see people from a distance. Thus, both grazing and calving are disturbed. – Outdoor life for the fit – This area is our Geiranger, says deputy mayor Kjetil Eide (Sp). – A move will dramatically reduce the opportunities for most people to use this part of Rondane, he says. The last 3 kilometers before the car park have an ascent of 180 metres. – Should we have outdoor life only for the fit? he asks. He believes this will also be very negative for tourism in the area. Deputy mayor Kjetil Eide (Sp) in Sel municipality in Gudbrandsdalen. Photo: Dag Kessel / news All the municipalities around Rondane will this autumn give their opinions on various proposals for wild reindeer measures. Ap should think about Group leader in Sel Ap, Terje Jonny Sveen, says that he will not comment on the case as long as it is out for consultation. – We will now deal with this in the usual way in the party, and will return to this later in the autumn, he says. But in his own party there are several who have previously spoken out critically about the disputed car park. – Parking out of control This applies, among others, to Jørund Båtstad, who is now a deputy in the municipal council. The same applies to Jan Olav Solstad, former shop steward in Sel Ap. He has been leader of the Villreinforum Rondane-Sølnkletten since 2018. Leader of the Villreinforum Rondane-Sølnkletten, Jan Solstad, Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud – All expert bodies within wild reindeer, both license holders and researchers, are pretty much in agreement that this parking lot is a major challenge for the wild reindeer in Rondane Nord, says Solstad. – It is depressing that “everyone” wants wild reindeer measures, but not in their own municipality. Everyone must contribute. We are facing a crossroads. We’re running out of time. He believes that the parking in the area around Spranget is out of control. – There are a large number of motorhomes there, and extensive wild parking. – I am very afraid of the signal effect towards other municipalities if Sel municipality does not now show political courage and agree to move the car park to Mysuseter. AVAILABILITY: Jenny Pedersen and Frode Grøndahl drove up to the car park. Jenny is unsure whether her knees will hold in the national park, and thinks that it should be allowed to drive there for those who are skinny. Frode believes there must be an alternative to the car. DELICIOUS BUT UNNECESSARY: Frode Grøndahl thinks it was very strange to be able to drive SO far into the mountain home, and supports moving the parking space to Mysuseter 3.5 kilometers below. HAPPY FOR THE PARKING PLACE: Guttorm Morka Mæhlum was glad he didn’t get lactic acid on his bike uphill before the actual mountain tour started, but still reacted to the wide road into the national park.SPREKE CAN PARK FURTHER SOUTH: Ole Martin Byom has driven his car in, and admits that he needs to train more to endure cycling up to the popular starting point. He also believes that the elderly and the disabled should have the opportunity to experience Rondane at Spranget. SPREK MOUNTAIN GOAT: Bjørg Skjøtskift cycled up from Mysuseter and is concerned with protecting the wild reindeer tribe, but thinks the discussion is difficult and that everyone should have the opportunity to experience Rondane at as close as possible. – Symbol politics But the Center Party thus has a clear majority in the municipal council, and in that case there must be breakaways from here who can possibly change the situation. – I can say with certainty that we will be in agreement on this matter, says deputy mayor Kjetil Eide (Sp). He believes the proposal for relocation is “pure symbolic politics.” The car park at Spranget ved Rondane is 6 km from the Rondvassbu tourist cabin. Photo: Dag Kessel / news – We do not save a single wild reindeer in this way, regardless of the measures, and in any case not just by moving the car park. It does not matter if there are 200, 300 or 400 people per day in this area. It hasn’t been clean here for decades. – But isn’t there a reason for that? – Yes, it is quite clear, but research shows that we have to go down to 30 passes a day to be able to restore a migration of wild reindeer. We will not be able to achieve that anyway, even if we move the car park 3 km further south. Eide believes that it is creating conflict that new proposals for measures keep coming. – If the measures have not had the desired effect, new ones will continue to come. We will stand up for the wild reindeer where it is today, and we will come up with proposals for this in our own municipality Lars Blekastad, group leader for SV in the municipal council in Sel municipality. Photo: Dag Kessel / news Election campaign issue for SV Group leader in Sel SV, Lars Blekastad, says that moving the parking lot was one of their election campaign issues. – Everyone understands that there will be less traffic if we do that. The effect will be that walkers will be less concentrated around this vulnerable area, he says. DNT in a nutshell The conflict also intervenes in a long-standing conflict between the Norwegian Tourist Association (DNT) and other bodies about who has the most responsibility for helping the wild reindeer tribe. It has been proposed to close hiking trails to reduce traffic in the mountains. But in March, DNT and NHO wrote a joint article in news Ytring where they warned against closing down hiking trails. At the same time, they highlighted cabin construction as a threat to wild reindeer. Others claim that it is precisely DNT that must act on its own and be more open to closing down both cabins and hiking trails. Property manager Jan Erik Reiten at DNT. Photo: Even Lusæter / news Real estate manager Jan Erik Reiten in DNT says that he will not take a position on the matter. – We understand that the Jump is a topic since the car park is inside the mountain. Here, the proposals for measures must be linked to the knowledge we have about wild reindeer and traffic, he says. The State Administrator recommends relocation Director of Environment and Agriculture at the State Administrator in the Interior, Haavard Elstrand, says that their recommendation to the Environment Agency is relocation. – We experience a good understanding among municipalities about the need for measures in general. At the same time, I understand that it can be experienced as demanding with single measures such as at Spranget. He says that it is therefore best to have a comprehensive plan for the entire Rondane, where all municipalities must contribute. – It will also provide a distribution of the burden, if one has to put it that way. We depend on good dialogue to succeed. Wild reindeer in Rondane/Dovre. Photo: Geir Olav Slåen / news Published 30.08.2024, at 22.52
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Dispute over parking space in a wild reindeer area in Rondane – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
