Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park
Encyclopedia
Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park is a National Park
in Norway
. It was founded in 2002 to replace and enlarge the former Dovrefjell National Park, originally founded in 1974. It occupies 1,693 km² and encompasses areas in three Norwegian counties: Oppland
, Sør-Trøndelag
, and Møre og Romsdal
and includes large parts of the mountain range of Dovrefjell
.
- preserve a large, continuous and essentially untouched mountain area,
- preserve an alpine ecosystem with its natural biodiversity,
- preserve an important part of the range of the stocks of wild reindeer in Snøhetta and Knutshø,
- safeguard a variation in habitats,
- preserve the landscape morphology and its distinctive geological deposits,
- protect cultural heritage.
The public do have access to experience the nature through the exercise of the traditional and simple outdoor life, with technical infrastructure only established to a very modest extent.
In short: To preserve an intact alpine
ecosystem
with its indigenous wild reindeer
. Together with the reindeer in Rondane National Park
the last remaining population of wild Fennoscandian reindeer of Beringia origin (other wild Norwegian reindeer are of European origin and have interbred with domesticated reindeer to a various extent), wolverine
, and various large birds as golden eagle
and gyrfalcon
can be seen, and also the recently (1930s) imported (and potentially dangerous) musk ox
en. Some of the plant life predates the last ice age
.
Although it is a harsh environment, the mountains, the highest being Snøhetta
at 2,286 m, make for spectacular hiking during the summer and skiing in the winter. Due to rather long walks between mostly unstaffed huts, great areas without huts and trails and harsh and unstable weather conditions, this area is recommended for experienced and well-equipped wanderers only.
paralleled with the main railway
between Oslo
and Trondheim
. Altogether the protected area amounts 4,365 km² and also includes areas in the county of Hedmark
in addition to the three of the National Park.
The Park as well as it's five adjacent landscape protection areas and two biotope protected areas are managed by the National Park Board for Dovrefjell. This is a Governmental board, the members are from the same 8 municipalities and 4 counties as the former Dovrefjell Council, nominated by those and finally appointed by the Ministry for the Environment.
The former management model from July 2003 was a trial intended to last until July 2007. The final decision on the permanent management model was made in August 2010 and the new board was formally established on January 4th, 2011. The members are much the same persons (local mayors) as in the Dovrefjell council and one may still consider Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park as being managed locally.
From 2007 up to 2011 the Dovrefjell Council did manage the National Park and co-ordinated the management of the other areas. The council consists of the eight involved municipalities and four counties, with political representatives, usually the mayors, elected by the members. Except for the National Park, the conservation areas were managed by the actual municipality / municipalities (some PAs comprises more than one municipality). The council has still the responsibility for coordinating regional planning and society development, mainly through the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism of The EUROPARC Federation
. The council itself works to transfer also this tasks to the new board, but until now the Government has been reluctant.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It was founded in 2002 to replace and enlarge the former Dovrefjell National Park, originally founded in 1974. It occupies 1,693 km² and encompasses areas in three Norwegian counties: Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
, Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
, and Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
and includes large parts of the mountain range of Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell is a mountain range in central Norway that forms a natural barrier between Eastern Norway and Trøndelag, the area around Trondheim. As a result, it has been heavily trafficked during and probably preceding historical times...
.
Ecology
The National Park was established to- preserve a large, continuous and essentially untouched mountain area,
- preserve an alpine ecosystem with its natural biodiversity,
- preserve an important part of the range of the stocks of wild reindeer in Snøhetta and Knutshø,
- safeguard a variation in habitats,
- preserve the landscape morphology and its distinctive geological deposits,
- protect cultural heritage.
The public do have access to experience the nature through the exercise of the traditional and simple outdoor life, with technical infrastructure only established to a very modest extent.
In short: To preserve an intact alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
with its indigenous wild reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
. Together with the reindeer in Rondane National Park
Rondane National Park
Rondane National Park is the oldest national park in Norway, established on 21 December 1962. The park contains ten peaks above , with the highest being Rondslottet at an altitude of . The park is an important habitat for herds of wild reindeer....
the last remaining population of wild Fennoscandian reindeer of Beringia origin (other wild Norwegian reindeer are of European origin and have interbred with domesticated reindeer to a various extent), wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
, and various large birds as golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
and gyrfalcon
Gyrfalcon
The Gyrfalcon — Falco rusticolus — is the largest of the falcon species. The Gyrfalcon breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly resident there also, but some Gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter.Individual vagrancy...
can be seen, and also the recently (1930s) imported (and potentially dangerous) musk ox
Musk Ox
The muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
en. Some of the plant life predates the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
Although it is a harsh environment, the mountains, the highest being Snøhetta
Snøhetta
Snøhetta is an international architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design office based in Oslo, Norway and New York City. Craig Dykers and Kjetil Trædal Thorsen are the two principals of the company. In addition there are four partners, architect Robert Greenwood, architect Ole...
at 2,286 m, make for spectacular hiking during the summer and skiing in the winter. Due to rather long walks between mostly unstaffed huts, great areas without huts and trails and harsh and unstable weather conditions, this area is recommended for experienced and well-equipped wanderers only.
Administration
The park is divided into a major western part and a minor eastern part by the European route E6European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
paralleled with the main railway
Dovrebanen
The Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
between Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. Altogether the protected area amounts 4,365 km² and also includes areas in the county of Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
in addition to the three of the National Park.
The Park as well as it's five adjacent landscape protection areas and two biotope protected areas are managed by the National Park Board for Dovrefjell. This is a Governmental board, the members are from the same 8 municipalities and 4 counties as the former Dovrefjell Council, nominated by those and finally appointed by the Ministry for the Environment.
The former management model from July 2003 was a trial intended to last until July 2007. The final decision on the permanent management model was made in August 2010 and the new board was formally established on January 4th, 2011. The members are much the same persons (local mayors) as in the Dovrefjell council and one may still consider Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park as being managed locally.
From 2007 up to 2011 the Dovrefjell Council did manage the National Park and co-ordinated the management of the other areas. The council consists of the eight involved municipalities and four counties, with political representatives, usually the mayors, elected by the members. Except for the National Park, the conservation areas were managed by the actual municipality / municipalities (some PAs comprises more than one municipality). The council has still the responsibility for coordinating regional planning and society development, mainly through the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism of The EUROPARC Federation
EUROPARC Federation
The EUROPARC Federation, also known as the "Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe", is an independent, non-governmental organisation. Europe's protected areas - its national parks, nature parks, and biosphere reserves - play a vital role in safeguarding the continent's nature, its...
. The council itself works to transfer also this tasks to the new board, but until now the Government has been reluctant.
See also
- Dovre National ParkDovre National ParkDovre National Park is a national park in Hedmark and Oppland, Norway, that was established in 2003. Dovre covers an area of 289 km² and the altitude varies from the tree line around 1000 meters to 1716 meters ....
- List of national parks of Norway
- Tourism in NorwayTourism in NorwayThe main tourist attractions of Norway are the fjord-indented coastline and its mountains, the unspoiled nature of the inner parts of the country, and the cities and smaller towns.-Attractions:...
- Norwegian Mountain Touring AssociationNorwegian Mountain Touring AssociationThe Norwegian Trekking Association is a Norwegian association which maintains mountain trails and cabins in Norway. The association was founded on 21 January 1868 with the scope "to help and develop tourism in this country". Today the goal is to work for simple, secure and environmentally friendly...
External links
- Dovrefjellrådet - the Dovrefjell Council. Management, information about regulations and restrictions, animal and plan life, outdoor life, etc. Norwegian text only.
- http://www.lovdata.no/cgi-wift/ldles?doc=/lf/lf/lf-20020503-0428.html Park regulations
- The park in Brief Norwegian Government's pages on the park - alas, the English page is down at present
- Map Interactive map of the Park and surrounding areas
- Turistforeningen Home pages of Norwegian Mountain Touring Association
- Norwegian Academy of Science: Dovre