Alarm about outdoor life: The King’s Path under threat

Blocked dass, damaged hiking trails, scary mountain peaks. That the government has cut the environmental budget has already had tangible effects for outdoor life and valuable nature, shows a survey of the country’s county administrations.

Next year, the situation is feared to be even worse.

A branch lies chopped up in pieces on a flooded meadow in the Stornäset nature reserve.

An outdoor visitor has emailed a picture of the broken span to administrator John Granbo at the county board in Västernorrland. He has to answer as he has done many times this year: Unfortunately, there are no resources to remedy the matter.

– It happens quite often these days. We have no money to send anyone out.

He adds:

– A broken span may not be a huge problem. But if it continues like this, we will have a big mountain of maintenance needs in the reserves. It affects the visitors. But not least, nature and biological diversity are hit hard.

Joints can be closed

At another county board, in Norrbotten, Erik Granerot is worried that popular hiking trails such as the Kungsleden may eventually have to be closed again due to a growing maintenance debt.

– That risk definitely exists. If a bridge breaks on the Kungsleden and we don’t have the money to renovate it, we may have to close the trail. This year we have been lucky because relatively few outdoor recreation facilities have broken down, but in the future there may be more problems.

One of the urgent problems here and now is that there is no money to maintain miles of border markings around the nature reserves, according to Granerot who is head of the nature management unit.

– The risk is that you, as a visitor, break the reserve regulations or that illegal logging takes place because you do not know you are in a reserve.

Trash cans are removed

The picture looks similar in the rest of the country. This is shown by TT’s survey, which 18 of the country’s 21 county administrative boards have answered.

The reason is that this year the government reduced the budget for measures for valuable nature – which includes everything from outdoor life work to nature conservation and efforts against invasive species – by 45 percent compared to last year.

All county administrative boards that have responded state that this has led to fewer management measures in protected nature. Maintenance of hiking trails, rest shelters, fences and other outdoor facilities are things that have had to be cut in many places.

Other consequences include clogged gutters, firewood that could not be put out at barbecue areas and removed garbage cans.

Wear on mountains

The county board in Västerbotten is one of those that testify to a wide-ranging impact. All maintenance work there is now focused on places that might otherwise pose safety risks, such as bridges.

“If the funds are not enough for that, facilities will be closed and eventually demolished,” they write in their survey response.

At the same time, all development such as putting out new fences and maintenance of reserve boundaries has had to be scrapped. The fact that this is happening at the same time as interest in mountain hiking is increasing sees the county administration in Västerbotten – where, for example, Vindelfjällen is located – as worrying:

“The wear and tear in the mountains will increase”, they write.

Natural values ​​are damaged

In addition to the fact that the conditions for outdoor life have been affected, the restoration of nature has had to be severely curtailed. This involves, for example, mowing of meadows, conservation burning and clearing of other valuable environments.

In Örebro County, maintenance measures have been reduced by 55 percent compared to last year. Many of the measures need to be taken regularly to preserve biological diversity and endangered species, according to Johan Karlhager at the county administrative board.

– It could, for example, be about special flora in meadow environments that are dependent on continuous management measures. If it ends, it could in the long run cause damage to high natural values, he says.

That the resources have shrunk is not immediately noticeable, but can have major consequences if the resources remain at the same level, according to several county administrations.

– The most serious thing is that we cannot take care of the species and nature types that need care to survive. That is often the main purpose of nature reserves – to protect and preserve biological diversity, says John Granbo in Västernorrland.

Even less pot

Before 2024, the government has indeed allocated 82 million to measures for valuable nature, but at the same time earmarked a large part of the money for wetland investments and work against invasive species.

Therefore, in practice, there will be even less money for management measures next year – about half of what the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency requested in its budget document to meet the needs for measures.

– It will have major effects. Maintenance is becoming even more deficient and the ability to receive visitors in nature reserves and national parks is deteriorating, says Claes Svedlindh, head of the authority’s nature department.

Even the measures to favor biological diversity are affected, but many county administrations will cut back on other activities in order to “save a minimum level” of nature conservation efforts, Svedlindh believes.

– It could be about nature centers or predator work, which may be reduced in scope.

For those who visit national parks and nature reserves, the effects will be clear, according to Svedlindh.

– There will be fewer areas to go to to find, for example, working hiking trails or lookout towers.

FACTS The survey in brief

Read moreFACTS Outdoor life and nature have been affected

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