Landowners’ sudden concern for reindeer on Hardangervidda raises questions

Landowners on Norway’s Hardangervidda plateau have blocked the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) from grooming ski trails and transporting supplies to cabins, citing concerns for wild reindeer—yet they have approved over 1,500 helicopter landings in the same protected area, writes commentator Stein P. Aasheim.

The move has drawn attention after landowners denied DNT permission to maintain marked ski routes and deliver provisions to huts like Kalhovd, forcing closures this winter. DNT argues that ungroomed trails pose safety risks, but Aasheim dismisses this, noting that Norway’s mountain safety code advises choosing routes based on ability. “If you can’t cross Hardangervidda with a map and compass, go somewhere else,” he writes.

What makes this action remarkable, Aasheim argues, is the sudden shift in landowner priorities. Historically, rural municipalities and property owners have resisted restrictions on outdoor access, opposing national parks and conservation measures. In 2021, 42 mayors from Norway’s Utmarkskommunenes Sammenslutning (Association of Outlying Municipalities) demanded a halt to wild reindeer protection plans, warning that further restrictions would undermine local autonomy.

Yet this same “local discretion” has permitted extensive motorised traffic in Hardangervidda National Park, where such activity is nominally banned. Last year, authorities granted 1,500 helicopter landing permits—mostly for hunters and anglers—alongside 8,000 trips by snowmobiles, ATVs, and aircraft. Nearly all applications for motorised access were approved, except for one: the Maarfjell Sámi district, which saw its request for 144 landings reduced to 100.

The contradiction deepens with plans for Eidfjord Resort, a NOK 3 billion development inside the reindeer habitat, featuring 700 apartments, 150 cabins, hotels, ski lifts, and 4,500 beds. “The landowners stand united and take responsibility,” declared Hardangervidda’s wild reindeer committee. Aasheim challenges this claim: “Let’s see if this newfound concern for reindeer holds when their own interests are at stake.”