The process of creating Biosphere Reserves- An ... - Naturvårdsverket

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REPORT 6563
The process of creating Biosphere Reserves
lenge for the on-going Biosphere work is how the previous central stakeholders
cope with additional stakeholders joining the work.
The application states:
“In the Reserve one wishes, together with the users and inhabitants of the area, to
test and demonstrate the models for sustainable use of natural resources”( Östra
Vätterbranterna, 2011).
Considering that the area is for the most part privately owned, there is thus a challenge
in persuading the private landowners to make their land available. However
as it is a prerequisite for the existence of Biosphere work in the long term, the future
of this work depends on these private landowners being interested in making
their land available.
3.5.5 Summary Reflections
Overall surprisingly, there has emerged little negative opinion contrary to the establishment
of the Eastern Slopes of Lake Vättern as a Biosphere Reserve, bearing
in mind the wide variety of stakeholders and the large number of private landowners
found in the area. A reason that so few critical voices made themselves heard, is
that nomination to a Biosphere Reserve does not incorporate any new laws limiting
the uses of land. Another reason is the working group’s long experience with conflict
and procedural work, concerning conservation and utilisation problems. Over
the years a trust has developed between the central stakeholders of the area. Additionally
there is a functioning organisation for collaboration that can be utilised and
developed further.
The Biosphere work in the Eastern Slopes of Lake Vättern has derived great advantage
from the consensus-seeking mode of work with the previous project Eastern
Slopes of Lake Vättern, which ran for nearly ten years before the idea to launch
Biosphere work came up. The ties between the central stakeholders – the County
Administrative Board, Södra Forest Owners, LRF, the municipalities and nonprofit
making nature conservation – were consequently already established, and in
addition, the earlier working mode had many similarities to the working mode that
characterised the Biosphere work. It was therefor relatively unproblematic to anchor
and create legitimacy for the idea of establishing a Biosphere Reserve. Thanks
to the Biosphere work, the collaborative work between the central stakeholders
involved has been further strengthened. Jönköping Municipality has also, as the
application process progressed, taken on a larger and more important role in future
Biosphere work. Despite this however the work has not been entirely unproblematic.
The problems and challenges arise, as previously mentioned, when the working
group has as an ambition for inclusion of more districts, and greater challenges
arise during the candidature process when wind power operators plan to establish
wind power in the proposed Biosphere Reserve. No specified strategy or preparation
for how one deals with these problems and challenges appears to exist, rather
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