Wind power distribution across subalpine, boreal, and temperate landscapes

Onshore wind power is increasingly expanding to meet global and national goals to increase renewable, clean, and fossilfree energy production. In many countries and regions, however, historical and current land use is extensive, and the expansion of wind power has to be well-tuned to avoid risking irreversible legacy losses of existing and traditional land uses, landscape values, and cultures. Hence, assessments of the siting premises of current and forecasted expansion of wind power are strongly needed as a basis for sustainable planning. We present a study from alpine to temperate biomes in Sweden, where an ambitious onshore wind power expansion strategy has been put in place and will result in Swedish landscapes that are typified by wind power. We explored the existing legal framework— i.e., the national interest for wind power according to the Swedish Environmental Code—concerning the spatial interaction with other national interests for nature conservation, landscape values, and other land uses, and the land cover, landowner, and formally protected areas distribution within wind power sites and in their proximity. We found that the national interest framework does not provide sufficient guidance for locating wind power to avoid spatial overlap with conflicting interests and values. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that wind power is located mainly in forest-dominated landscapes, and on lands where private forest companies are the dominant owners but where the proportion of public and non-industrial private ownership increases in the near surroundings. Finally, we found that large areas of formally protected areas are within the proximate areas influenced by wind power. As an extensive onshore wind power expansion is already going on, and an even more extensive expansion is projected, the ways forward toward a sustainable wind power expansion calls for integrated landscape planning approaches that are based on comprehensive assessments of existing interests and values

Participatory comprehensive planning to handle competing land-use priorities in the sparsely populated rural context

Rural areas supply the planet's natural resources while simultaneously harbor refuges for most of the world's remaining biodiversity and intact, resilient ecosystems. Since traditional extractive activities must increasingly co-exist with non-exploitative activities such as tourism and conservation, sustainable land use planning is essential for managing trade-offs between incompatible interests in rural areas. With "communicative planning" being promoted since decades, participation is considered crucial for reconciling different planning interests. However, the implementation of participation remains patchy and uneven, not least in sparsely populated regions with low capacity where participation could be a game-changer. Here, we consider municipal comprehensive planning as an existing arena to explore participatory planning approaches potentially capable of simultaneously managing competing land uses and promoting sustainable development in sparsely populated rural contexts. Collaborative work between researchers and public managers resulted in the co-development of an approach based on qualitative village- and interest-based focus groups that facilitated the formulation, negotiation, and legitimization of concrete and detailed local guidelines that prioritize between different land uses. Consequently, the resulting comprehensive plan draft was more readily adopted than the output of a traditional planning process. We found that citizens in sparsely populated municipalities seem willing to actively contribute to rural development processes if they have significant influence

Readiness and planning for more wind power: municipalities as key actors implementing national strategies

In the global context of rapidly developing wind-power technology, local governments have to balance local interests with larger scale targets when implementing national and international strategies. An implication of a new Swedish national strategy for wind-power development is considerable intrusion into natural resource-rich northern landscapes, where municipalities already strive to manage diverse surface demanding and legally valued land-use interests. Municipalities will thus play a key role in wind-power development. Results of our survey suggest that most municipalities have functioning wind-power plans, linked to their municipal comprehensive planning (MCP). However, so far, relatively few wind-power farms have been established, and municipalities have rarely used their right to veto, suggesting that most have not yet experienced significant problems linked to wind-power development. The municipalities rely on their right to veto, and only a third highlighted planning as a tool for handling the increasing demand for wind-power developments. Legislative changes regarding the right to veto and the status of MCP could affect local self-government considerably. Wind-power development could have major consequences for local landscapes and governments, and a municipal-wide policy regarding future wind-power development and MCP as a mediating tool must be secured to balance local interests with national ambitions

Local natural resource dependency in a Swedish boreal municipality

Since every society depends on a society specific “natural resource field”, natural resource utilization within a society strongly influences socio-economic development. Natural and socio-economic sustainability originates in the local level, which in a Swedish context can be regarded as municipality level. Important natural resource users are local commercial activities, due to their central role in local socio-economy. In this thesis the local natural resource dependent society is a Swedish boreal municipality. The hypothesis is that its natural resource dependency is deeply rooted in the local culture and still of crucial socio-economic importance, but that understanding regarding this must be improved. Thus local natural resource (LNR) dependency and its impacts on local commercial activities is quantified, characterised and displayed, and further discussed in a socio-economic context. Data were collected among local commercial activities, represented by unique workplaces (UWps) within the municipality of Vilhelmina, through a telephone supported questionnaire. Half of the number of municipality UWps was addressed of which 46.5% responded. Results reveal that 80% of the UWps are highly LNR dependent. They offer engagement opportunities corresponding to 1 900 people and 40% of them are all-year, full-time engagements. Business establishment within Vilhelmina is associated with personal municipality connections or municipality qualities and geographical locations of all types of businesses is scattered across and outside of the municipality. Eighty per cent has been located within Vilhelmina for more than a decade and are likely to stay in business. Markets of UWps are mainly local. Cluster analysis identified LNR/LNR access dependency profiles, which show unique dependency patterns and differences in dominating business categories. Businesses, however, overlap profile boundaries and multiple businesses within UWps are reported in all profiles. Between profiles engagement opportunities per UWp vary from one to five. Results imply strong connections between LNR dependent small businesses, people involved and local social, cultural and economical structures. It is thus believed that LNR/LNR access dependency and commercial activities are deeply rooted in boreal municipality culture. To facilitate local as well as general positive development results hence confirm the need to quantify and characterize the LNR/LNR access dependency within a boreal municipality

Commercial activities in a local natural resource dependency perspective

Natural resources are important to the individual and to society. However, the definition of ‘natural resources’ as well as the regulation of the use of them vary. In order to determine which types of natural resource and access to them that can be considered important to a local society and by whom, a case study was undertaken in a rural boreal municipality. This study related natural resources to commercial activities by means of a questionnaire to 424 randomly selected workplaces in Vilhelmina municipality. Results show that 78% of the respondents consider themselves highly dependent on local natural resources (LNRs) and that they, together, engage many people. LNR dependent respondents were grouped by cluster analysis into seven LNR/LNR access dependency profiles. Clear patterns were found with respect to main business categories in terms of dominance, and variation within profiles and overlap between profiles. Forest and/or agricultural farming (FAF) businesses were for example more or less separated from other types of businesses (‘various’) but still they were not unified as a group but found in, and even dominating, more than one profile. Similarities and differences with respect to geographical locations, customers and engagements further characterise the profiles. High LNR dependency and patterns identified indicate the value of the chosen approach in relation to other types of approaches. It supports the notion that a LNR/LNR access dependency perspective on commercial activities could help to improve strategies for strengthening the local economy and maintaining and developing the rural boreal municipality as a resource community

Local natural resource dependency in rural boreal Sweden

Local natural resources (LNRs) have historically been crucial for human settlements and municipality development in the interior of northern Sweden. To investigate whether LNRs are still important, a sample population of local business enterprises was identified in a typical rural boreal municipality (Vilhelmina) and information on activities and engagement numbers was obtained using a questionnaire supported by telephone interviews. Respondents were grouped into ‘forest and/or agricultural farmers’ (FAF) and ‘various’. Most respondents (78%) stated high dependency on LNRs and engagement estimates were higher than numbers available in official employment data. Respondents across both business categories maintained that local natural, cultural, traditional and social values are at least as important as economic factors for establishment of local business enterprises. Thus, results indicate that local qualities are critical for local society prosperity and welfare of inhabitants and that LNRs still are important for maintaining and developing rural boreal municipalities

Spatial planning for sustainable rural municipalities

Local natural resources (LNRs) are essential for the socioeconomy of rural societies. The United Nations (UN) Agenda 21 and “Our Common Future” state that local spatial planning is central for the prospect of balancing ecological, social and economic sustainable development (SuD). Stakeholder participation in spatial planning enhances acceptance and improves preconditions for successful planning outcomes. Consequently, it is important to increase knowledge about LNRs and the use of them and to integrate such knowledge in local spatial participatory planning with a landscape perspective. These opening statements apply to Swedish boreal municipalities and describe the intentions of Swedish municipal comprehensive planning (MCP). The purpose of this work was to examine and analyze the preconditions for integrating MCP with a landscape perspective in rural municipalities. The thesis is based on case studies in Swedish, rural, municipal contexts reported in five papers. In Papers I & II, local businesses in Vilhelmina Municipality were surveyed to describe the societal importance of LNRs. The results showed that LNRs are vital to 78 % of the businesses, of which half are based on forest farming, and there are strong bonds between entrepreneurs, their businesses, the municipality and LNRs. Papers III & IV present and discuss the characteristics of MCP in theory and practice. An e-mail survey was sent to municipal officials in all Swedish mountain municipalities. MCP-stakeholders in municipalities in Bergslagen, in central Sweden, were interviewed. Respondents in both case studies stated a belief that MCP can offer prospects in planning for SuD. However, resources and stakeholder participation in planning are generally scarce, especially in rural municipalities. Paper V illustrates how new knowledge on forest land use (to support MCP) can be gained by combining spatial and temporal data on forest condition, owners and land use values in a geographic information system (GIS). This thesis provides scientific and practical contributions to aid in efforts aiming for SuD. It is done by framing MCP theoretically and contextually and by suggesting that MCP should be extended to include forest land use and by stressing the rural context in local spatial participatory planning. Opportunities in MCP have to be embraced, but local governments need enhanced knowledge about local land use, specifically forest land use. Moreover, stakeholder participation needs to be developed, requiring more resources. In the case of a Swedish rural municipality, it is crucial that efforts are made to develop MCP as a tool, not just in theory but also in practice

Drivers for public-private partnerships in sustainable natural resource management – lessons from the Swedish mountain region

Sweden’s mountain areas are sensitive ecosystems that are used by a wide range of stakeholders, and this raises multiple sustainability concerns. Collaborative governance solutions are becoming increasingly common in such situations to promote more sustainable practices. While the Swedish mountain area is indeed a hot spot for different forms of public–private partnerships (PPPs) related to natural resources management, as yet, little is known about the shaping of participation, leadership, and implementation of these processes. What are the drivers for implementing collaborative environmental partnerships, do the drivers differ, and if so, how? What role does the specific context play in the design of these PPPs? Are the PPPs useful, and if so, for what? To analyse those issues, we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with project leaders from a sample randomly selected from a database of 245 public–private collaborative projects in the Swedish mountains. Our results indicate that consequential incentives in the form of funding and previous successful collaborations seem to be the major drivers for such partnerships. A critical discussion of the possibilities and limitations of public–private forms of governance in rural mountain areas adds to the ongoing debate on the performance of environmental PPPs in a regional context

Wind power distribution across subalpine, boreal, and temperate landscapes

Onshore wind power is increasingly expanding to meet global and national goals to increase renewable, clean, and fossil-free energy production. In many countries and regions, however, historical and current land use is extensive, and the expansion of wind power has to be well-tuned to avoid risking irreversible legacy losses of existing and traditional land uses, landscape values, and cultures. Hence, assessments of the siting premises of current and forecasted expansion of wind power are strongly needed as a basis for sustainable planning. We present a study from alpine to temperate biomes in Sweden, where an ambitious onshore wind power expansion strategy has been put in place and will result in Swedish landscapes that are typified by wind power. We explored the existing legal framework—i.e., the national interest for wind power according to the Swedish Environmental Code—concerning the spatial interaction with other national interests for nature conservation, landscape values, and other land uses, and the land cover, landowner, and formally protected areas distribution within wind power sites and in their proximity. We found that the national interest framework does not provide sufficient guidance for locating wind power to avoid spatial overlap with conflicting interests and values. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that wind power is located mainly in forest-dominated landscapes, and on lands where private forest companies are the dominant owners but where the proportion of public and non-industrial private ownership increases in the near surroundings. Finally, we found that large areas of formally protected areas are within the proximate areas influenced by wind power. As an extensive onshore wind power expansion is already going on, and an even more extensive expansion is projected, the ways forward toward a sustainable wind power expansion calls for integrated landscape planning approaches that are based on comprehensive assessments of existing interests and values

Grön översiktsplanering i fjäll- och fjällnära landskap : Deltagande planering för en innovativ och hållbar översiktsplan för Vilhelmina kommun

Projektet Grön översiktsplanering i fjällen finansierades av Naturvårdsverket i den med Riksantikvarieämbetet gemensamma forskningssatsningen Storslagen Fjällmiljö. Inom projektet samarbetade forskare från Umeå Universitet och SLU med tjänstemän och politiker i Vilhelmina kommun, och med medborgare i Vilhelmina kommun. Aktiviteter och genomförande utgick från gemensamma beslut i en arbetsgrupp där både politiker, tjänstemän och forskare fanns representerade. Syftet med projektet var att, med Vilhelmina som pilotkommun, omsätta forskning i praktik och utveckla den kommunala översiktsplanen (ÖP) som verktyg för långsiktig landskapsplanering och nationell måluppfyllelse. Avsikten var att förbättra planeringsprocessen genom en utvecklad användning av befintligt landskapsdata samt en utökad dialog med kommuninvånare och andra intressenter i översiktsplaneringen. Särskilt fokus lades på grön infrastruktur och ekosystemtjänster, institutionella hinder och möjligheter och på deltagande planering. Kommunens tjänstemän bistod genom att ta fram och sammanställa bakgrundsmaterial i form av befintliga kommunala planer och policys, kartunderlag samt beskrivningar av olika verksamhetsområden. Med syfte att bredda kunskaps-/planeringsunderlaget engagerades, inom ramen för projektet, enskilda kommunmedborgare i olika deltagande aktiviteter. Totalt deltog 78 personer i sju fokusgrupper och 40 elever (enkät i årskurs 7-9 vid Strandskolan) i processen. Forskarna bearbetade materialet från fokusgrupperna och sammanställde visioner och ställningstaganden som sedan förankrades i uppföljande möten. Kommunens politiker tog därefter ställning till vilka alternativ som ska presenteras som förslag till ÖP. Resultatet från projektet kommer att utgöra utkast till samrådshandling när arbetet går vidare i Vilhelmina under 2018, i enlighet med lagstiftade krav på demokratisk process i översiktsplaneringen. Från projektet har förslag lagts till teman och inriktning på grön infrastruktur och ekosystemtjänster i översiktsplanen. Generellt finns stora möjligheter att uttrycka skogslandskapets, älvlandskapets, det fjällnära- och fjällandskapets bevarande- och utvecklingsvärden genom kartläggningar, skattningar och utvärderingar i förhållande till markanvändningsprioriteringar. Grön infrastruktur och ekosystemtjänster är dock inte tillräckligt inarbetat i planarbetet för att fungera som underlag. Det saknas relevanta och användbara data i tillräcklig precision och upplösning. Det saknas också en grundläggande förståelse för begreppens innebörd och potential. Båda begreppen ska tillämpas på detaljerad skala som beslutsstöd och samtidigt på stor skala för att vara funktionella över kommun- och länsgränser. Detta förutsätter en konsensus i planarbetet och liknande förutsättningar i data och tillämpning mellan olika kommuner och länsstyrelser. NATURVÅRDSVERKET RAPPORT 6811 Grön översiktsplanering i fjäll- och fjällnära landskap 8 Bristande resurser – ekonomiska, personella och kunskapsmässiga – tycks genomgående vara ett problem för fjällkommunerna. Detta, tillsammans med omfattande sektorisering och stora områden med överlappande riksintressen, samt en urban norm i planeringsstödet, leder till lågt politiskt engagemang och driv i ÖP processerna. Våra erfarenheter indikerar därför att det är viktigt att tidigt och kontinuerligt förankra det deltagande planeringsarbetet gentemot den lokala politiken. Vidare så måste deltagandeprocesser få ta tid. Våra lärdomar och sätt att arbeta med deltagande planering i Vilhelmina kommun summeras och presenteras i en stegvis modell (se avsnitt 7.5.9. tabell 9) som andra fjäll- och/eller gles- och landsbygdskommuner kan utgå ifrån och anpassa till sina specifika förutsättningar och målsättningar med sina deltagande planeringsprocesser. Genom att utöka det nationella stödet och ifrågasätta struktur och status på dagens ÖP har den potential att i framtiden bli ett reellt verktyg för innovativ hållbar landskapsplanering i fjällen.