9788202669638.pdf

In Norway, the outfields [utmark] are understood as mainly un-cultivated countryside areas such as forest and upland and make up over 70 per cent of the country’s land area. The outfields are the grounds for land uses such as grazing, forestry, hunting, fishing, recreation, wind- and hydropower production and mining.Major changes are taking place in the Norwegian outfields. Cabin construction, predators, grazing, and an increasing level of conflict between traditional and new users of these areas are causing heated debate about the use of these lands and their resources. In Utmark i endring [Outfields in Transformation], some of the country's leading social scientists in the field provide an overview of the significant changes and insight into how to further the ongoing debate about the future of these outlying areas. The use of the outfields has always been important to Norwegians. It is where weekend homes, wind power, mining and outdoor recreation are creating a certain quality of life – and workplaces. Yet these uses are also challenging our values regarding the natural environment, cultural values and traditional uses of these areas such as sheep and reindeer grazing.Changes in how these areas are valuated and used can lead to several conflicts of interest: Can traditional grazing survive the encroachment by other users and predators?How much expansion of second-home developments can the land tolerate?What should the limit be on adaptation for recreational activities?What aspects of the history of this territory do we value?The contributors to this book come from such various disciplines as geography, sociology, law, economics and philosophy – and therefore have different perspectives on the changes that are occurring. Collectively, the chapters in Utmark i endring make a significant contribution to existing research and can serve as a basis for further discussion of the challenges that businesses, individual users, and custodians of these lands face. Utmark i endring is thought-provoking reading for anyone ...