A Tough Debate on the Future in Norway's Finnmark
Finnmark is struggling with its population. The chairman of the board of Finnmarkseiendommen (FeFo) believes that the county must give up nature to build wind power and industry. Reindeer herding and the Sámi Parliament disagree.
The chairman of the board of FeFo, Øyvind Lindbäck, believes that Finnmark must tolerate setting aside areas for industry and wind power in order to reverse the negative population development in the county.
When Finnmarkseiendommen (FeFo) recently marked its 20th anniversary, the celebration was largely about the future of the county’s land.
FeFo owns and manages around 95 percent of the land in Finnmark on behalf of the residents—an area the size of all of Denmark.
The organization is in the middle of a central debate in Norwegian politics: How should the land be used when the green shift requires more space, while Sámi rights and traditional industries depend on the same areas?
The chairman of FeFo, Øyvind Lindbäck from the Nordkalottfolket party, believes that Finnmark must make choices if the county is to be able to reverse the population decline.
“We have to give up some land,” says Lindbäck.
In addition to being the chairman of FeFo, Lindbäck represents the Nordkalottfolket party in the Sámi Parliament. He acknowledges that industrial development may go beyond Sámi interests, but believes that the social benefit for Finnmark must outweigh it.
He believes that the county must be willing to set aside areas for both wind power, mineral extraction and other industries in order to create new jobs.
“We cannot have it like after the war, where the population has largely remained static. We must look at other solutions that are beneficial to society,” he says.
There Is No Reindeer Herding without Land
The FeFo chairman emphasizes that reindeer herding alone cannot determine the future of land use. He believes that municipalities, other Sámi interests and business actors must be given more importance in order to get projects started. He acknowledges that this will be felt.
“Yes, it may happen that this goes against Sámi interests. Justified or not, somewhere we have to give up some land in order to develop Finnmark,” says Lindbäck.
This message raises concerns among reindeer herder Leif Ánde Somby from Mákkarávju-Magerøya siida.
“There is no reindeer herding without land. It is as simple as that,” says Somby.
He does not share the opinion that more industry automatically leads to more residents, and refers to places that have already developed.
“In Havøysund, where wind power has been around for several decades, the population has decreased by 30 percent. Wind turbines have not led to more residents there. For example, we see in Alta, where there are many other activities in the city center, that the population is increasing. There are other activities than windmills and lines that create society,” says Somby.
That Is Why FeFo Was Established
The Sámi Parliament also believes that the discussion must be seen in light of why FeFo was established.
“FeFo has a clear role when it comes to Sámi interests. This follows from the Finnmark Act, and it must be the basis for all decisions they make,” says Sámi Parliament Councilor Jon Christer Mudenia (NSR).
He points out that the Finnmark Act came about as a result of the fight for Sámi rights after the Alta conflict.
“It is important to remember the historical background. Nature and the traditional industries are the basis for settlement and development in Finnmark. It must also be part of the future,” says Mudenia.
He believes that the solution to Finnmark’s population challenges does not necessarily lie in more industry alone.
“We must listen to the youth and find out what actually makes them move home or stay,” he says.
The Sámi Parliament councilor is himself among the youth who moved from the county, then returned to Finnmark.
“The main argument for my friends and I moving back is the opportunities that Finnmark’s nature gives us. Outdoor life and hunting opportunities, that’s what we want to return to. That’s what we must protect for the future,” says Mudenia.
Skepticism at the Start
When FeFo was established in 2006, the discussion was mostly about who would own the land in Finnmark after the state gave up ownership.
FeFo’s very first chairman, Egil Olli, remembers a time when everything had to be built from scratch—in a landscape full of skepticism.
“This was something completely new, such a body did not exist in Norway before. We could barely register in the Brønnøysund registers because there was no such institution category,” Olli recalls.
He well remembers the debates that raged among most people in 2006.
“The coastal people in particular were skeptical about what this would be, and feared that the Sámi Parliament would gain too much power. But cooperation developed quickly. The most important thing has been to create an administration where users are heard,” says Olli.
The current director, Tom Micaelsen, points out that the task today is about a constant balancing act in land conflicts where the board has different views.
“We manage the property in a perpetual perspective. Therefore, we must be a safe and predictable landowner who takes good care of Finnmarkseiendommen,” he says.
The organization is now looking at new models for how FeFo’s financial profits will be returned to the Finnmark community, which will be discussed with the municipalities in September.
Source: NRK (in Norwegian)