It came as a shock to both the developer, Nye Veier and Lillehammer municipality when the Environment Agency did not want to grant a dispensation to get a new bridge over Gudbrandsdalslågen, further north than where the existing one is located. Those who celebrated the Norwegian Environment Agency’s decision before Christmas are shocked today. – If the protection is revoked, it seems that the protection decision does not mean a thing in the world in the meeting with heavy development interests, writes the head of MDG, Arild Hermstad, in an e-mail to news. Can change the protection regulations Today, Minister for Climate and Environmental Protection Espen Barth-Eide (Ap) and Minister of Transport, Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) had a meeting with Mayor Ingunn Trosholmen (Ap) in Lillehammer and Storting representative Rune Støstad (Ap) – It was a very good meeting, and we started from that in the certainty that there could be a solution within the proposal that is now on the table, says Barth-Eide to news. GOOD MEETING: Climate and Environmental Protection Minister Espen Barth Eide says he has had a good meeting with Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård, mayor Ingunn Trosholmen (Ap) in Lillehammer and parliamentary representative Rune Støstad (Ap). He specifies that they do not yet have the solution ready. They will look at the original plan for the motorway, but try to find solutions that protect nature better. It may be relevant to look at the safety regulations. – It is the case that if you are going through this area, you have to look at the protection regulations, and that happens through either a dispensation or a changed regulation. We have not landed on this. It must be done properly and thoroughly, says Barth-Eide. From now on, the Ministry of Climate and the Environment and the Ministry of Transport will take over work on the matter. – There is no reason why we should spend a long time now. But we have to wait a few weeks, says Barth-Eide. Lågendeltaet nature reserve The purpose of the conservation is, according to the legal text, to “preserve an important and special wetland area in its natural state with vegetation and wildlife, and to protect a particularly rich and interesting bird life, especially out of consideration for migrating, nesting and wintering waterfowl.” There are a number of predictions for the area. Among other things, all vegetation in water and on land is protected against all forms of damage and destruction. It is not allowed to introduce new plant species. Hunting, trapping, the use of firearms and also letting dogs loose are prohibited. Furthermore, it is stated that “measures that can change the natural conditions” must not be implemented. This means, among other things, that it is not permitted to erect buildings or roads. Motorized traffic on land and sea is prohibited north of Vingnesbrua. In the period from 15 April to 14 May, all traffic on water and shallow areas in parts of the delta is prohibited. The area was established as a nature reserve by the Crown Prince Reg. will be established. of 12 October 1990. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre tells news that he believes the two ministers will find a good solution. – This road will be built, but it will be done in a way that will take good care of nature and the environment, he says. Strong reactions SV believes that minor motorway development is part of the budget agreement from last year. Lars Haltbrekken is climate policy spokesperson in SV. He says it was important to stop the plans for a motorway through the nature reserve. The Norwegian Environment Agency made this decision the day after the major climate summit in Montreal, Canada. – Then the government’s first response cannot be to weaken the protection of nature in Norway, he says. WANT TO PRIORITIZE NATURE: Lars Haltbrekken (SV) says one should have an attitude to take care of nature and that it should be out of the question to weaken conservation regulations. Photo: LARS ERIK SKREFSRUD / news SV about the new E6: – A crowning example of an environmentally hostile motorway MDG perceives the news that the Minister of Climate and Environmental Protection is opening to change the conservation decision in the Lågen Delta as a nail in the coffin for nature conservation in Norway. This is what Arild Hermstad (MDG) wrote in an email to news. – It is hair-raising that the minister who is supposed to be responsible for taking care of nature uses so much of his time to find ways to reduce it, he continued. ASKING QUESTIONS: – The Lågen delta is one of the few wetland areas in Norway, and the Environment Agency has been clear that the motorway is not actually necessary. When will nature win, if not in this case?, asks Sofie Marhaug (R). Photo: Ihne Pedersen Rødt’s representative in the Storting, Sofie Marhaug, has now asked Barth-Eide what he thinks is wrong with the Norwegian Environment Agency’s reasoning for rejecting the application for disposition. – If Barth-Eide and the government want to remove the conservation regulations in order to force through an unprofitable motorway development in the Lågendeltaet nature reserve, then it is hair-raising. Question from Sofie Marhaug (R) to Minister for Climate and Environmental Protection Espen Barth-Eide In news on 24 January we can read that the minister announces that the government will find a solution to build a motorway past Lillehammer, within the proposed route. Nye Veier’s plans for a motorway through the Lågendelta nature reserve, a reserve which has the strictest protection under the law, were recently stopped when the Environment Directorate refused the dispensation application after the original dispensation was complained about. The directorate provides a solid professional justification for the refusal, and refuses the dispensation because they believe that the conditions for dispensation are not actually met. The project is very economically unprofitable and the Environment Directorate also concludes that the condition that the road development is necessary is not met either. They further point out that it is a very important natural area, which is under great pressure. The road development is assessed to have very negative consequences for the conservation values in the Lågen delta, and many wetland areas have already been reduced. It is therefore alarming that the minister is now opening to defy professional advice, and force through a road development, possibly by changing the safety regulations themselves. What in the Environment Directorate’s reasoning for refusing a dispensation for road development through the Lågendelta nature reserve does the minister think is wrong? The Norwegian Nature Conservation Association writes in a press release that the issue of development of the Lågen Delta is a matter of principle. – If Barth-Eide hollows out nature conservation now, right after he himself came home with a new international nature agreement and obligations for 30 percent protection, it is extremely unfortunate, they write. Ole Midthun, head of the Nature Conservation Association Innlandet, says that one of the most important reasons why they have said no to a new route is that it will fragment the conservation area to an even greater extent. Midthun says they have already been in contact with the ministry to try to get a meeting. CONCERN ABOUT COMPROMISE: – Compromises often go in favor of development and development, rather than on nature’s premises, says Ole Midthun of the Nature Conservancy. Photo: Frode Meskau / news Nature and Youth are also reacting to the outcome of today’s meeting. – It is impossible to build a new road and at the same time take care of natural interests, writes Sigrid Margrethe Hoddevik Losnegård in an e-mail to news. She sits on the central board of Nature and Youth. They think it is not the time to prioritize roads. TOP OF THE NET FOR: Sigrid Margrethe Hoddevik Losnegård gives Espen Barth-Eide the right that the total natural footprint must be looked at. – And therefore we cannot change the protection of the Lågen delta, writes Losnegård. Photo: Isabelle Dorothy Fuglevig Poole Plans were stopped In April 2022, the State Administrator in the Interior gave the green light for Nye Veier to start work on the new E6 past Lillehammer – through the nature reserve. Nye Veier was ready to put the shovel in the ground when the Norwegian Environment Agency stopped the plans on 19 December 2022. The nature reserve is protected because it is an important area for birds. Only the government can change the decision from the Norwegian Environment Agency. Either by changing the conservation regulations for the Lågendeltaet nature reserve or by finding other solutions for the road. This is what the Minister for Climate and Environment will now look at more thoroughly. The Norwegian Environment Agency says today that it has no comment on the signal from the government. – Our role in this case has only been to assess whether there is a legal basis for exemption from the protection regulations, writes Ellen Hambro, director of the Norwegian Environment Agency. Mayor of Lillehammer, Ingunn Trosholmen, says she is very happy that the ministers welcomed her and Støstad. And that they listened to what they said: That it is possible to build a new road and at the same time take care of the natural interests. – I am terribly relieved today. Now we have made the government see that there are ways to build the road that take care of nature and traffic, says Trosholmen. Want to engage in dialogue Espen Bart-Eide says that they will of course now engage in dialogue with all parties involved in the case. He tells news that the E6 past Lillehammer takes up a dilemma that one will face many times in the future. – It is important to me that nature as a whole comes out better. We need to look at our overall natural footprint. This may be about compensation measures or measures linked to the old road and the new road. According to Barth-Eide, there may be talk of a narrower road, lower speed limits and environmental measures along the existing road, which will now become a local road. – It doesn’t have to be a four-lane road with a speed limit of 110 either. From before, an area further north in Gudbrandsdalslågen has been protected as a replacement area for lost nature in the Lågen delta.
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Will find a solution for E6 and change the protection of the Lågendelta. Encounters resistance. – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
