Partial County Development Plans as a Means for Preserving Wild Reindeer Habitats in Norway

• Main Author: Bråta, Hans Olav
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: common pool resources; spatial analysis; tourism; wildlife; reindeer; General & Multiple Resources; Norway; Rangifer
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10535/2590

"Norwegian wild reindeer habitats are threatened by human intervention. Wild reindeer habitats are joint region wide common pool resources (CPR). Municipalities may be free-riders to that resource if they prefer investments boosting municipal economy despite negative consequences for wild reindeer as a regional resource. Partial county development plans, following the rules of the Planning and Building Act (PBA), are a means that may combine preservation of habitats and development. In order to analyze such plans, theory on CPR management is applied to spatial development planning in the Rondane and Hardangervidda wild reindeer areas. It is shown that the nested system is in accordance with most of Ostrom's principles. Still, a joint Planning Board ought to be established at Hardangervidda and a partial county plan for the whole wild reindeer area there ought to be established. It is recommended that regular monitoring of interventions and planning is established. Finally, a system or mechanism for low cost conflict resolution is needed; but is not easily included into a system based on official actors at different levels, the planning and building act and public anticipation on equal management. The last point is important for mutual acceptance of restrictions on own activity."