2005 - Communicating the Pan-European Ecological Network - ECNC

policymaking, involving stakeholders in nature protection, was embedded in this national project whichfeeds into national nature policy.The mapping project reflected the fact that Norway carries out interactive policymaking. The project involvedmapping the central mountain ridge area of Norway, so that on the map it formed one big park, thiscould be seen as a type of ecological network. This was a unique method compared to the other countriesin this report, as local stakeholders created the collection of data and drawing up of maps. This typeof policy formation and implementation has been carried out by ‘experts’ in other countries that are includedin the report. The interviewees in Norway also automatically identified the importance of social knowledgein nature policy decision-making, something not so evident in other countries in the report.Opportunities and challenges identified by respondents for development of an ecological network includedthe need for integration of government departments, the need to resolve potential conflicts betweenstakeholders with strong and differing opinions of nature and raising the awareness of people about natureand the need to protect it.Cross border cooperation exists but generally only at the municipality level. Research had been carriedout on concepts such as ecological corridors in Norway. With regards to awareness of PEEN there wasgenerally a lack of awareness as to what it was and a lack of recognition of the need for a national ecologicalnetwork in a country such as Norway, rather than any strong negative feelings against such a concept.35