Support for local initiatives

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Support for local initiatives

– new approaches in nature conservation

The restoration of canoeing waterways that creates the basis for small-scale tourism, hiking trails that highlight the area’s cultural history and the transformation of wetlands close to urban developments into resources for schools and recreation. These are examples of ongoing local nature conservation projects in Sweden – all of which stem from local initiatives sponsored by government funding.

Nature conservation grants have enabled Sweden’s municipalities, private individ-uals, companies and associations to work on nature conservation in their locali-ties. These ventures have encouraged new ventures; in 2006 nearly all of Sweden’s 290 municipalities are involved in such work.

Government grants of 40,000,000 US dollars

Commitment, local consensus, will and visions of open landscapes and thriving rural communities are utilised in this focus on local Swedish nature conservation. The aim is to put nature conservation in context and demonstrate how conser-vation work can create the conditions for more outdoor recreation, better public health and local growth.

More than 80,000,000 US dollars is being invested in projects starting between 2004 and 2006.

The work is being implemented using government grants, where a maximum of 50 per cent of the projects’ measures that are entitled to grants can receive funding. The working hours of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can be calculated as a cost equivalent to 26 US dollar/hour.

For exchange of experiences and increased involvement, there is a database of projects in which local interested parties can update and report on their work via the Internet.

Government agencies responsible:

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) distributes funds to Sweden’s county administrative boards as well as guiding and following up the work. County administrative boards decide on grants that are allocated to the projects. Swedish municipalities coordinate and administrate the projects that are carried out locally. Municipalities, NGOs, foundations and private individuals can apply for grants.

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The Rönne Å River – popular waterway for canoeing in Skåne.

Mowing along the Lyckåleden riverside trail.

Hiking trail unites the area (Lyckåleden)

A new hiking trail along the Lyckebyån River has created a lot of involvement from the community in Lyckeby. The initiative for the project came from local associations.

The project comprises clearance work, building bridges, footbridges and paths through pastures, and creation of information boards to guide visitors through this countryside of cultural history interest along the river.

Total cost: 60,000 US dollars.

Local nature conservation grant: 28,600 US dollars.

Immigrants on a walk to learn more about the Swedish countryside.

Neat and tidy in the Rönne Å River

Conﬂicts of interest between birdlife, landowners and people using land for recreation have long permeated Rönne Å in southern Sweden. Five municipalities in cooperation with local businesses are now working hard to achieve sustainable use of this attractive waterway.

Leisure activities are directed to locations where there is no conflict with the inter-ests of landowners or nature conservation. Better rest areas and increased coop-eration between different users are key elements of this work. About 50 landown-ers are actively involved.

Key to Sweden’s countryside

Jönköping Municipality gets help from nature in its integration work. A combination of theory and ﬁeld trips introduces immigrants to the Swedish countryside and outdoor recreation.

Arriving in a new country does not just mean contact with new people but also “new” countryside and new vegetation. The Swedish right of common access is also new to most immigrants in the multi-cultural residential area Öxnehaga. The project is being run in close cooperation with the NGO called the Swedish Asso-ciation for the Promotion of Outdoor Life.

Giving local powers a lift

Upland pasture path used for generations

The Hjällstad Hemman homestead association is focusing on the cultural and natural environment. The association is restoring a previously forgotten route up to former important upland pastures.

Up in the hills, farm animals grazed the upland pastures and winter feed was gathered in. The pastures are now re-opening, and the old route to them will be an attraction for local inhabitants and visitors.

Signs explain the work done on the path to the mountain pasture.

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Horses on natural pastureland.

Horses as nature conservationists

The number of horses is increasing, while the number of cows is decreasing. It is

therefore particularly important that the horse’s muzzle is used optimally! The Agricultural Society and Gnosjö Municipality want to encourage this through training aimed at horse owners.

The knowledge of the link between keeping animals, grazing and nature vation is to increase. This is the goal of the project of horses as nature conser-vationists. Besides training ventures, a shared grazing system, register of horse owners and natural pastures are some of the other results expected.

The Himelstalundsskogen Forest, an asset near urban areas.

Nature conservation in practice; the consultation group for the Lötbodalsskogen Forest.

Everyday nature in urban environments

In Norrköping, one of Sweden’s biggest cities, there are plenty of green spaces that more people are now being encouraged to discover.

The Nature in your Neighbourhood/in Focus project aims to make surrounding nature attractive and accessible to the city’s inhabitants. This will be achieved through clearance work, erecting signposts, building rest areas and producing new maps and descriptions of the natural surroundings.

Recreation planning in Lötbodalskogen Forest

An adapted forest that can withstand plenty of leisure activities and where the interests of nature conservation are also met. This is the aim of the ongoing recreation planning for the popular Lötbodalskogen Forest in Gnesta Municipality near Stockholm.

Extensive cooperation between associations, dialogue and discussion are seen as prerequisites to avoid conflicts of interest between different users of this forest that is near urban areas.

Experience-based learning aims to lay the foundation for future involvement in nature and environ-mental issues.

Nature school for more children

In northern Sweden, six municipalities are working together to provide nature-based teaching as part of compulsory education. One of the municipalities already had a nature school, and by increasing resources, additional teachers have been recruited and more pupils can be offered outdoor activities.

Nature school days are one of the items on the agenda. These days are to include various themes, basic outdoor education and specialised study of forest and wetland landscapes. This journey starts with play and exploration for the youngest children; for older children, the nature conservation is linked to sustainable development.

Government nature conservation grants have beneﬁted everything from wetlands to exercise trails, school children, frogs and entire communities. In several cases there are links to a possible boost for the business sector, where nature reserves are regarded as a valuable basis for tourism and local development. Here we’d like to give you a quick tour of current projects!

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Reduced Climate Impact Clean Air

Natural Acidiﬁcation Only A Non-Toxic Environment A Protective Ozone Layer A Safe Radiation Environment Zero Eutrophication

Flourishing Lakes and Streams Good-Quality Groundwater A Balanced Marine Environment, Flourishing Coastal Areas and Archipelagos Thriving Wetlands

Sustainable Forests

A Varied Agricultural Landscape A Magniﬁcent Mountain Landscape A Good Built Environment

A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life The 16 environmental objectives will function as benchmarks for all environment-related development in Sweden. The overriding aim is to solve all the major environmental problems within one generation.

The 16 objectives were formulated in the course of fruitful cooperation between elected representatives, public authorities, industry and environmental organisations. They were adopted unanimously by Parliament (1999 and 2005). For more information, visit www.internat.naturvardsverket.se For more information, please contact: Naturvårdsverket Ingegerd Ward SE-106 48 Stockholm Sweden Ingegerd.ward@naturvardsverket.se Tel. +46 8 698 10 00 THE 16 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYOBJECTIVES ESTABLISHEDBYTHE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT (TOBEACHIEVEDBY 2020)

Link to Sweden’s

environmental objectives

The government grants for nature conservation have the ambition of putting nature conservation in context. All projects are to show how the ventures contribute to one or more of Sweden’s environmental quality objectives.

There are conditions attached to the grants, in that measures in the projects must belong to one of six categories:

- Knowledge building (e.g. stocktaking)

- Foundational work (e.g. municipal nature conservation programmes) - Processes for area protection (e.g. maintenance plan)

- Conservation and management of areas (e.g. to promote outdoor recreation in natural and cultural environments)

- Restoration (types of landscape or species) - Information and general education

Nature conservation of benefit to society

At a national level, this whole project is regarded as an important step to broaden and strengthen local and municipal commitment to Swedish nature. This is taking place by encouraging local driving forces and by highlighting the benefit to society that is created when nature conservation is linked to out-door recreation, public health, cooperation and partnership. Projects including equality and integration issues have also been prioritised.

Nature and outdoor recreation near urban areas

The focused work on local nature conservation grants has emphasised the sig-nificance of nature near urban development in particular. Securing and pre-serving land and waterways near urban areas is important to create the basis for outdoor recreation and better public health. Using the grants, many munic-ipalities and local players have intensified their work in that direction. Ongo-ing projects include everythOngo-ing from makOngo-ing nature trails to plannOngo-ing leisure activities in forest areas, as well as ventures to improve general accessibility of the countryside close to urban developments.

Of the projects granted funding in 2005, more than 40 per cent were linked to outdoor recreation. The majority of the projects are connected to the environ-mental objective, “A Good Built-up Environment”, followed by “Sustainable forests”, Flourishing Lakes and Streams” and “A Varied Agricultural Land-scape”. IS B N 6 2 0 -8 25 5 -8 G R A P H IC D ES IG N : I D ÉO LU C K A B / # 6 0 4 0 9. P H O TO S P A G E 1 : A R N E O LS SO N , U LF O LS SO N , P Ä R O LS SO N , Ä LV K A R LE B Y KO M M U N , T O M A S J A N S SO N . cal ture Conservation