PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Ylläs-Aakenus is a Natura 2000 area covering more than 37 000 hectares and located north of the Arctic Circle. There are plans to establish a new national park in this fragile and unusually varied environment marked by glaciation. Characterized by extensive western taiga, aapa mires and Lappish fells, the area also contains patches of herb-rich forest. Europe's largest mustelid, the wolverine (Gulo gulo), occurs here as well as the fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa), a charming vanilla-scented orchid. Up to 500 000 people visit the surrounding region every year, and perhaps as many as 200 000 of these visit the Ylläs-Aakenus Natura 2000 area. The growing streams of tourists need channelling, as Lapland's nature is vulnerable and should not be subjected to excessive wear. The area is part of a reindeer husbandry district, which means that reindeer can graze there freely.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project was to draw up and implement a management plan aimed at channelling nature tourism. An inventory of habitat types and species in the area would be made in conjunction with the plan. The impact of reindeer herding also had be taken into account. For the plan to be workable, all parties concerned, from the public authorities to local inhabitants, nature tourism businesses and reindeer owners, would need to be involved in the drafting process. Nature trails would be laid out and signposts erected to guide movement in the area. Briefings would be arranged for the local population and articles would be published in the press in an effort to boost public awareness of the area's nature value. Environmental education was another part of the project. At project start, 97% of the proposed national park area was government-owned; in the interests of coherent park management, the government would also purchase the remaining private land (approx. 1000 ha).
RESULTS
A management plan was drawn up to channel recreational use (mountain biking, horse riding, dog sledding, snow mobiling) which is increasing in the project area (Ylläs pSCI has 200 000 visitors per year). There are already problems with erosion by visitors which destroys vegetation, leaving bare sand and rock. There are also effects of the reindeer herding (overgrazing). • Under the plan, the area is divided into a) remote area (most natural status with minimum visitor infrastructure, 60% of the total area), b) recreation area (30%), c) restriction area (herb-rich forest where access can be strictly limited if needed) and d) cultural area. • Reindeer herding is allowed according to Reindeer Herding Act, but the plan aims to ensure, together with reindeer herders, that it is sustainable and fits with other land use forms. • There is a copper mine in Pahtavuoma and a mining reservation zone in Kesänkitunturi: the management plan aims to stop these activities/plans and landscape the Pahtavuoma mine. Separate plans made for the route network, recurring maintenance and nature education. The plan was drawn up in co-operation with local stakeholders like reindeer farmers, nature tourism entrepreneurs, local inhabitants and authorities. The project organised a steering group and local working groups, which were considered important platforms to meet stakeholders. The local working group had 10 meetings and included homework for participants: the representatives of different stakeholders had to prepare the opinion of the group he/she represented for certain issues for the next meeting. This participatory planning was successful – stakeholders considered that they had real impact on the management planning. The experience gained with management planning will be used in a series of meetings in Ylläs-Aakenus in 2004-2005 financed by the Nordic Council, about nature tourism in northern parts of Europe (Pohjois-Kalotti). Inventories were made to prepare the plan: • a biotope survey (12 FFH habitats found compared to 2 at the time of the project application) • vascular plants (3 plant species on Habitats Directive Annex II found: Saxifraga hirculus, Ranunculus lapponicus, Cypripedium calceolus) • lichens (20 species found not known before in the project area, altogether 260 species, - the richest level in Finnish Lapland) • polyporus (107 species found of which 2-3 new species for science) • birds (80 species observed of which 29 Annex 1 species of Birds Directive) • beetles (529 species) • mosses (250 species) • butterflies • fish • lakes, streams and springs • sites of cultural history importance, archaeological survey: provided information for the management plan, future management actions (like mowing formerly used alluvial meadows) and information panels and tourism entrepreneurs • survey of the geological history and most important geological sites of the project area: information used in signposts along the nature trails and in the management plan. • erosion: monitoring of erosion is necessary; the project has established monitoring of permanent plots after every 5 years. Visitors were counted with automatic recording devices. 900 visitors were interviewed and the main result was that visitors come to the area because of its nature values. The LIFE project acquired 739 ha land, more than 70 % of this via land swaps. In two cases, land was not purchased, but a compensation payment was paid for the loss of timber value while the ownership stays with the private owner. 270 ha at Toivola could not be purchased before the project end, because there was no agreement with the owners. It is being expropriated instead, and this was expected to be finished by mid-2004. The project built a 47 km network of nature trails including 128 information panels. 2600 m of board walks was repaired/constructed. The trails have different themes (geology, taiga forest, cloudberries, climate and aurora borealis, aapa mires, mythology and respecting nature, predators, flora and fauna survival during the hard winter, fenology). These nature trails are not following the traditional way of having signposts of flora and fauna, but are interactive, seeking more to create experiences and activities for the hiker. They include much humour in the texts and pictures. This innovative work showed how to guide visitors away from sensitive areas and how to develop high-quality nature trails that not only ensure visitor satisfaction but also help to raise the general level of awareness of nature conservation needs. Users gave positive feedback to the thematic nature trails. Maps of these trails were printed and distributed to local hotels and ski cafeterias. The project helped prepare a brochure “Retkelle roskatta” to decrease visitors’ littering, connected to the “Roskaton retkeily” approach which means that the dustbins for mixed rubbish were taken away from the project area in 2002, leaving only dustbins for sorted rubbish. Visitors are encouraged to bring back their rubbish. This worked well: untidiness did not increase, while earlier 34 m3 waste was taken out of the project area, in 2002 it fell to 20 m3, either compost or sorted waste. The number of kilometres to be driven with vehicles to collect rubbish decreased with 40 %. Staff working hours saved could be targeted to other work. The project launched “nature evenings” in the visitor centre Kellokas (11 in all), with different themes from large carnivores to aurora borealis. There were 20-100 people per evening, and because of this good response the nature evenings were continued after LIFE. One project brochure, a brochure on nature trails, a specialist publication and a booklet for the layman, a slide series and CD rom about geological sites and an educational package for schools were produced. A video about species inventory work and the project was made and is used in the visitor centre of Kellokas. An internet page was made in 6 different languages: The address to Finnish page is: http://www.metsa.fi/luo/projektit/taiga/ and for example for the French page: http://www.metsa.fi/natural/projects/taiga/ranska.pdf . The project networked with LIFE projects in Finland and Germany on similar habitats or themes (tourism management) Following up LIFE, the beneficiary has applied for EU Structural Funds and Social Funds to prepare sustainable tourism strategies and organise a training course for tourism entrepreneurs. Multidisciplinary research about themes in the management plan (e.g. forest fire history, carrying capacity, local economic impact of Ylläs-Aakenus) would start in 2004 with a pilot project by the Forest Research Institute. A Structural Funds project was carried out to set up hiking routes and signposts outside the LIFE-Nature project area, complementing it. The project almost doubled the number of visitors to the visitor centre in 1999-2002 to 60 000 visitors/year. This has a direct impact on the income of the cafeteria of the visitor centre and indirectly on the wider district (tourism entrepreneurs). In Ylläs district there are 150 companies working with tourism. The employment impact of the project was 13 working years. Many long-term unemployed people were hired to build the nature trails. The nature trails made by the project are expected to increase tourism in summer – Ylläs is so far more known for cross-country skiing. Nature tourism is increasing in the area; local entrepreneurs were thus motivated to participate in project actions and thanks to the LIFE-Nature project Natura 2000 is now at the heart of these new eco-tourism initiatives. After previous reticence about Natura 2000 in Lapland, by project end there was a more positive and constructive dialogue with awareness that Natura 2000 could offer opportunities through increased nature-based tourism.