On March 6 earlier this year, the news came that the battle for wind power at Fosen was finally over. At that time the Södra Fosen group had already agreed with the government and now the Norra Fosen group and the government also agreed on an agreement.
Part of the agreement was that both the Norra and Södra-fosen groups would receive a compensation area for grazing and seven million Norwegian kroner in annual compensation for the entire concession period, until 2043.
Now the Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomic Research (NIBIO) has presented an investigation with a first proposal on where these areas could be located.
“Important that we have progressed”
They believe that the Håmmålsfjellet-Sålekinna area between Tolga and Os is clearly the most suitable as an additional area for winter grazing and the government will now proceed with this area.
– It is important that we have now come a step further in the process of following up on the mediation agreements in Fosen, says Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland according to NRK Sápmi.
Leif Arne Jåma, leader of the southern group, about the area:
– The area has good winter grazing properties. It is an important principle for posterity that when reindeer grazing land is taken from us, it must be replaced with new land, he says.
The area must be suitable for winter grazing and be at an acceptable transport distance from Fosen.
Silje Karine Muotka, president of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, praises the work that has now been done.
– It is an important step forward. I hope that those affected by the area being made available as an additional and replacement area for the reindeer husbandry are accommodating and solution-oriented so that the reindeer husbandry can use these areas in a good way, she says.
Farmers dissatisfied
But the farmers in the area are considerably more dissatisfied. For many years there have been conflicts between farmers and reindeer herders in the area, where the farmers believe that the reindeer destroy those who farm.
– The Farmers’ Association reacts very strongly to the proposal to move reindeer here from Fosen. Here the state risks committing a new violation to compensate for another violation, says Bjørn Gimming from the Norwegian Farmers’ Association, to NRK Sápmi.