Nature conservation

In Sweden, nature is protected by law in a number of different ways. The first nature conservation legislation was passed as early as 1909. Protected areas are the principal instrument used by nature conservancy to protect valuable natural environments. The national parks of Sweden have the highest status among the protected areas.

The national parks reflect the variety of natural values to be found in Sweden - large, unspoilt areas with magnificent scenery, representing the best of Swedish nature. They are the most powerfully protected areas. In principle, all commercial use of the land is forbidden here, with the single exception of the reindeer herding of the Sami (Lapps) in the national parks of the mountain regions.

On the other hand, the parks welcome visitors. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the national parks. Many just visit the information centres, which often give a good idea of the attractions on hand. Those who want to experience more, have the opportunity of penetrating deeper into the parks. Thanks to hiking paths with simple footbridges consisting of planks or logs, car parks and latrines, the large number of visitors only cause minimal wear and tear.

Sweden today has 25 national parks (26 as of summer 1997). Initially it was above all the unique natural character of the mountain regions that was set aside in national parks. Even today, the mountain areas make up 90 per cent of the aggregate surface area of the national parks. But they also include wild, almost completely unspoilt virgin forest, the light and leafy nobility of the deciduous woods, great, untouched tracts of swamp and the variegated landscapes of the coast. The four island national parks also capture the rich variety of Swedish nature - the leafy woods of Angso in the Stockholm archipelago, the hard granite cliffs of Blo Jungfrun (the Blue Virgin) to the west of Oland, the soft sandy dunes of Gotska Sandon north of Gotland, and the Haparanda archipelago with its mixture of dunes and barren skerries.

The Tyresta national park near Stockholm provides perhaps the clearest example of how close Swedes are to magnificent nature wherever they live. Tyresta is one of the country's southernmost stretches of virgin forest, where you may come across lynx spoor or hear the hooting of the pygmy owl and the cry of the black-throated diver. It is situated a mere 2.0 km from the centre of the capital city.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvordsverket) has the task of presenting proposals for areas which deserve to be designated as national parks. But it is the Swedish government, by commission of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), which finally decides which areas are to be granted the status of national park.

In 1995, Sweden gained its first urban national park - Ulriksdal-Haga-Brunnsviken-Djurgarden - comprising royal pleasure palaces, park grounds, green spaces and valuable natural areas in and around the centre of Stockholm. The aim of this protection is to prevent further exploitation which destroys valuable heritage, natural and recreational areas. But many people are asking themselves what the status of a national park is really worth. The area is already being nibbled away at its edges by new motorways, offices and housing development.

The Lapland mountains, a region extending for almost one million hectares, were recently put on the United Nations' exclusive World Heritage list, alongside such other wonders of nature as the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Areas, places and buildings are designated as World Heritage if they possess natural or cultural values of such pre-eminence that their conservation is a concern for the whole of humanity. Among their many attractions, the Lapland mountains host four national parks - Sarek, Padjelanta, Stora Sjo fallet and Muddus.

Areas more influenced by human activities are protected as nature reserves. There are almost 1,600 nature reserves in Sweden. Most of these have been created to secure the continued pursuit of outdoor activities. Small areas of marked geological or botanical interest are often set aside as nature reserves. Nature reserves are considerably smaller than the national parks, but the reserves may also cover extensive and widely varied areas.

Almost all Swedish mammals and birds are protected. They may not be hunted without special permission. Despite the protection orders, many species - including the wolf, the wolverine, the otter, the barn owl, the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), the kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) - are under such acute threat that they are unable to maintain viable populations without active protective measures by humans. Conservationists and researchers are working to reduce the mortality of these animals. If one of these animals gets hit by a car or is found dead, the occurrence must be reported to the police.

To protect species, or at least to ensure them peace and quiet during the mating season, county administrative boards may issue regulations restricting hunting or the right of common access in certain areas. The most usual forms are bird protection areas and seal protection areas. Access to these areas is forbidden during parts of the year or sometimes all year round.

Since the turn of the century, it has been possible to issue protection orders for plants that are threatened by extinction. Throughout the country there are lots of plants that are protected in certain areas. These may not be picked. Nowadays nature conservancy only uses protection in extremely exceptional cases where it is clear that it is in fact the whole habitat of the species that requires to be protected. This is particularly the case with the more and more overgrown meadows and pastures, which are threatening to eradicate many plants. Against processes of this kind, no protection will avail. The Law Protecting the Public Right of Access to the Shoreline, which prevents landowners from building dwellings, outhouses or jetties by the water without special permission, was originally passed to secure the public's right of access to sea and lake shores and the banks of watercourses. In recent years, the law has been tightened up and now also protects the richly diverse animal and plant life in the beach zone. In Swedish environmental legislation there are also sections dealing with the measures that must be taken in connection with industrial development and the building of roads and residential areas, or the environmental requirements applying to geographically extensive industries such as agriculture, forestry and fishing.