Concept Note.

Name of the Lead Partner       Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services
Country of the Lead Partner    Finland
Region of the Lead Partner     Lapland
Name of the project                 Our Common Arctic Heritage
Priority of the project               2. Common challenges
Proposal status                       Concept Note
Locations                                 Lapland
Murmansk Oblast
Finnmark Fylke
Duration                                   36 months
Indicated total costs                 1 000 000 €
Total contribution requested    900 000 €

Partners (not final list)              Geological Survey of Finland (FI)
Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences (FI)
Lapland Environmental Centre (FI)

Lapland State Nature Reserve (RU)
Pasvik State Nature Reserve (RU)
Kola Biodiversity Conservation Center (RU)
Geological Institute of Kola (RU)
Murmansk State Pedagogical University (RU)

Fylkesmannen i Finnmark (NO)
Finnmarkeiendommen (NO)
Bioforsk Institute (NO)

Associates                             Municipality of Inari (FI)
Municipality of Pelkosenniemi (FI)
Municipality of Salla (FI)

City of Kirovsk Tourist Information Centre (RU)
City of Monchegorsk Tourist Information Centre (RU)
City of Apatity (RU)

Sör-Varanger commune (NO)


Background of the project proposal.

Connections between operators working in the fields of nature protection and utilization of natural resources in Barents region have long history. Anyhow, there has been only few common projects and actions. Maybe the best recent example is Inar-Pasvik –Interreg III –project with focus on development of nature protection and tourism in Pasvik river valley and Inari lake and Inari-Pasvik Trilateral Park as one of main results. Geologists have also long tradition in co-operation cross the borders.

Northernmost part of Fennoscandia and Kola Peninsula is geografically uniform area, covered by arctic and boreal vegetation zones. Until 1917 when the borders were closed, the area had active economical and cultural connections, with large rivers as main transport routes. These river valleys are rich of cultural heritage sites, yet deficiently surveyed.

Mining industry has been one of the main branches in economy in the area, but also major cause of environmental problems. The importance of mining is still growing with new mining projects starting in Finnish Lapland. Discussion of benefits, environmental problems and employment is continuous in public.

Backbone of nature protection is existing protected areas of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia. Co-operation under the Green Belt was awarded an official status and objectives, when Finland, Norway and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding 17.2.2010. Signatories will promote cooperation on the Green Belt of Fennoscandia by regional and municipal border areas and their administration s, protected areas of differing status, enterprises, scientific institutions, nongovernmental organisations and other bodies. The Memorandum will facilitate ecologically, economically, socially and culturally sustainable transboundary cooperation along the Finnish-Norwegian, Finnish-Russian and Norwegian-Russian parts of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia.

Kolarctic ENPI CBC programme offers a good opportunity to develop cross-border co-operation.


Brief description of the proposed actions.

Our Common Arctic Heritage –project aims to increase awareness of the natural and cultural heritage values common to East Lapland and Norway and Kola Peninsula and promote their sustainable utilization.

The common natural heritage includes geological and biological diversity of arctic and boreal ecosystems. The common cultural heritage includes traces of settlements along the Pasvik and Lutto Rivers, which has combined the area through the history. Main target areas are protected areas of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia and recreational areas important for nature tourism and local inhabitants.

Project creates several kind of educational and interpretation materials like exhibitions, educational materials for schools, maps, brochures, websites, demonstrative sites, nature trails and mobile guidance services based on gps + internet. The demonstrative sites include geological heritage, biodiversity and cultural sites. The interpretation and education materials include the transfer of the existing and surveyed data about all the basic heritage values into practical education modules and learning environments.

The project promotes sustainable use of target areas by creating synergy between environmental education and nature tourism. The same materials and services are integrated into the potential sites for heritage based tourism like protected and recreational areas.

One of the most important actions is setting up new permanent networks in regional level between operators in the fields of environmental education, nature protection and sustainable nature tourism.


Description of the target group.

The main target groups of the projects are:

• pupils at schools
• tourists and locals visiting protected and recreational areas and other heritage sites
• personnel working in education and tourism
• local decision makers
  

All the material produced in the project will be available in national and international languages. This will especially promote cross-border tourism between project countries.

Final beneficiaries are local inhabitants through positive impact in local economy and communities.


Objectives.

Overall objectives

The main objectives of Our Common Arctic Heritage project are:

1. Raised awareness of the natural and cultural heritage common to East Lapland and Norway and Kola Peninsula
2. Increased sustainable utilization of protected and recreational areas
3. Active co-operation networks created by public and private operators in these fields
   

These objectives are achieved by intensive cooperation of project partners and synergy of education and tourism in materials, means and sites.


Specific objectives

Specific objectives are common to all participating countries or targeted to a single destination area. Many of them are based on preceding cooperation and existing plans made in previous projects like Inari Pasvik Interreg project. All objectives are based on co-operation and synergy of education and tourism.

• Interpretation of natural values of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia for schools and public by means of exhibition, audiovisual presentation, educational materials and training courses and nature trail.
• Promoting sustainable use of protected areas by utilization of educational materials for nature tourism.
• Interpretation of geological heritage for schools and public by means of recreational geological map, nature trail, demonstration sites, educational materials and training courses.
• Promoting geoturism by utilization of produced materials
• Survey and interpretation of cultural heritage.
• Renovation and signing of cultural heritage demonstration sites for education and tourism.
• Development and piloting of mobile guidance services (gps + internet) in interpretation of geological and cultural heritage for education and tourism.
• Promoting cross-border tourism by means of common multilingual materials and services.
• Increasing common understanding and changing knowledge by arrangement of seminars in project topics.
• Improving future co-operation between local and regional operators by setting up permanent networks and common development plans.
  

* Implementation of Inari-Pasvik Action Plan
** In close co-operation with Interreg project of koltta sami culture.


Main activities.

All the main activities are implemented in cooperation and targeted to all participating countries, if not else specified.

Nature protection, interpretation and sustainable use of protected areas:

• Production of a transnational exhibition of natural values in protected area of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, based on existing data of biodiversity.
• Circulating the exhibition in visitor centers, largest schools etc.
• Production of an audiovisual presentation (multivisio) of Inari-Pasvik trilateral park.
• Production of educational material of protected areas and a supplemental package for teachers and other personnel working in nature interpretation.
• Construction of 2 nature trail in Lapland State Reserve (RU) and Svanhovd (NO).
• Creating a monitoring system for nature trails and demonstration sites.
• Arranging a field training course of nature interpretation for personnel working in education and nature tourism.
• Arranging a two-day seminar of nature protection under the Green Belt of Fennoscandia (NO).
  

Survey, interpretation and sustainable utilization of geological heritage:

• Survey of geological heritage in Khibiny Tundra (RU).
• Preparing a geological recreational map of Khibiny Tundra (RU).
• Construction of a geological heritage trail in Khibiny Tundra (RU).
• Analysing geological heritage and preparing a brochure and uniform signing of 10 geological demonstration sites for education and nature tourism in target area (FI, RU).
• Building a website and mobile guidance services (gps + internet) of geological heritage of Pyhä-Luosto National Park, based on existing geological recreational map (FI).
• Production of educational material of geological heritage and a supplemental package for teachers and other personnel working in nature interpretation.
• Arranging a field training course of geological heritage for personnel working in education and nature tourism.
• Arranging a two-day seminar of geological heritage (FI).
• Analysing potential of geoturism and membership of European Geopark Network in Pyhä-Luosto NP and Khibiny Tundra and preparation of development plan (FI, RU).
  

Survey and interpretation of cultural heritage sites:

• Survey of cultural heritage sites on Pasvik and Lutto River valleys.
• Renovation and signing of 6 cultural heritage demonstration sites for education and tourism.
• Preparing of educational material of cultural heritage sites in close co-operation with Interreg project of koltta sami culture.
• Preparing a recreational map, website and mobile guidance services (gps + internet) of cultural heritage in Urho Kekkonen National Park based on surveyed and existing information (FI).
• Setting up a network of local and regional operators to improve co-operation in geoheritage.
• Preparing an development plan of geotourism in the region.
  

Cross-border environmental education
In addition to above mentioned activities:

• Creating a common monitoring system of phenological processes in nature by schools.
• Arranging a two-day seminar of environmental education (RU).
• Setting up a network of local and regional operators to improve co-operation in environmental education.
  

Development of future co-operation:

• Preparing an overall development plan of future cooperation for the part of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia inside the region.
  

Strategic innovations and structures:

• Project sets up permanent and committed co-operation networks for creating initiatives for nature protection and sustainable development of protected areas.
• Project creates and utilizes synergy between environmental education and nature tourism by using the same information, materials, tools and sites of interest for different target groups.
• Project utilizes cost-effective best practice methods and tools recognized and taken in cross-border use.
• Project promotes domestic, border-crossing and international nature tourism under the borderless Lapland destination.
  

Main outputs.

Main outputs of the project are following:

• 2 transnational exhibitions of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia and geological heritage of the target area, circulated in all participating countries*
• Geological recreational map of Khibiny Tundra
• Multivisio of natural values in Pasvik Trilateral Park*
• 2 nature trails in Khibiny Tundra and Lapland State Reserve
• Brochure and uniform signing of 10 geological demonstration sites in target area
• Website and mobile guidance services (gps + internet) of geological heritage of Pyhä-Luosto National Park
• Educational materials of protected areas and geodiversity in the target area for schools
• Educational packages and training courses of protected areas and geodiversity in the target area for teachers, other personnel working in nature interpretation and tourism.
• Survey, renovation and signing of 6 cultural heritage demonstration sites on Pasvik and Lutto River valleys
• Educational material of cultural heritage sites**
• Map, website and mobile guidance services (gps + internet) of cultural heritage of Urho Kekkonen National Park
• Internet sites of new infrastructure and services, integrated to existing sites of the partners
• 3 cooperation networks of local and regional operators in the fields of nature protection under the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, geology and environmental education
• 3 seminars of the topics nature protection under the Green Belt of Fennoscandia and environmental education
• Common monitoring system of phenological processes in nature by schools
• Overall development plan of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia for 10 years
• Development plan of geotourism in Pyhä-Luosto NP and Khibiny Tundra
  

* Implementation of Inari-Pasvik Action Plan
** In close co-operation with Interreg project of koltta sami culture.


Justification.

Relevance of the action to the objectives and priorities of the programme

The project contributes strongly the development of the cross-border cooperation between EU-Finland, Russia-Murmansk Oblast and Norway-Finnmark Fylke. The activities of project focus on nature protection and sustainable utilization of natural and cultural resources, especially geological heritage. The project raises awareness of common challenges in nature protection and promotes sustainable use of natural resources. Information of protected areas and geological diversity increases capacity of realistic assessment of possibilities and threads of large development projects e.g. in mining industry. Knowledge of values and potential of protected areas and geology will spread and create future business and employment opportunities in nature tourism and mining industry.

What is the added value of the action?

The added value of the project is creating and utilizing synergy between environmental education and nature tourism. Coalition of partners in three countries, operating in sectors of nature protection, geology, research, tourism and education, has the capacity needed to create innovative solutions like mobile interpretation and guidance using latest technology. Differences in operating environment, practices and knowhow make the project challenging but also give opportunity to find best practices to solve common problems and promote sustainable development.

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Pertti Itkonen

Development Manager

Metsähallitus

Natural Heritage Services Lapland