Landskap
I forvaltning av verneområdene forholder vi oss til å bevare landskapet først og fremst mot tiltak som kan endre det observerbare og synlige landskapet på en måte som endrer særpreget, slik som geologiske forekomster og landskapsformer, flora og fauna og spor av bruk, som kulturminner og kulturmiljø. Det er likevel slik at også usynlige eller immaterielle verdier som hører til i landskapet, som historier og sagn, også skal tas hensyn til i forvaltningen og være en del av det vi vil formidle som verdier i landskapsvernområdene. I forarbeidene til verneplanen ble landskapsverdi (visuelle verdier) kartlagt etter en bestemt metode. To delområder i hoveddalføret fikk verdi A1, som er det «ypperste og det mest enestående landskapet innenfor regionen». Ytterligere to områder ble karakterisert til A2, «landskap med høy innrykksstyrke og stort mangfold».
Geology
The bedrock here is mostly dominated by quartz slate, which is a type of rock derived from shale. Throughout the geological history ice and meltwater has shaped the natural landscapes we see here today. In general, hard, homogenous bedrock has greater resistance to weather and erosion and is therefore found in greater quantity in the mountains. The valleys, fjords, and other recesses were made where the bedrock was softer or where the ground’s surface was fractured, allowing ice and water to shape and erode the ground more. In Kvænangsbotn, there are faults like this to the southeast. One is near Njárbesjohka, the other north of Čeabetčearru/Halsfjellet. East of these faults, the rock is harder than in the western parts of the valley. Towards the end of the ice age the ice and large amounts of meltwater moved through Kvænangsdalen and eroded the bedrock, while also leaving loose materials such as clay, sand, gravel, and moraines in varying sizes. The water from the glaciers also brought loose materials that is left in rivers, lakes, or in the ocean. Slowly but surely, all this shaped the landscape we can see today.
Flora and fauna
A considerable variety of ecosystems can be found in Kvænangsbotn. In the mountains to the north of the valley, about 600 m above sea level, there are many lakes with arctic char. There hasn’t been registered occurrences of rare or endangered flora, but no surveys have been made recently. However, in an around these lakes several rare and vulnerable species of bird can be found, such as long-tailed duck, horned grebe, and common scoter. In the main parts of the valley, pine forests dominate the landscape. The pines give a certain characteristic to the valley, with gnarled or dead trees almost like sculptures. Most of the utilized forest is found outside the protected area, but some also in the PA. In the secondary valley Gearbbet/Kärpikkä the pine forests grow sparser, and there are mostly leaved trees within the borders of the protected area. Riparian forests and large patches of birch are found along the upper parts of the river. Clear signs of haymaking have been found here, and these areas are often home to vulnerable flora. Measures to restore part of the “Storslåtta” by Dalstuen area have been made, both for the positive effects on ecological diversity and cultural values.
Culture and history
Kvænangen is rich in cultural and linguistic diversity – Sami, Kven, and eventually Norwegian. These three groups have during history provided a variety of methods in making use of the natural resources around them. The remains of tar kilns and carved pine roots that were burnt to extract tar are found throughout the woods, one of many ways the forest was worked. Det var en av mange måter skogen ble utnyttet for å skaffe store inntekter. The forest was also very important for procuring lumber for buildings and boats. There are several lumber mills in the area, and the local wood production did not finally end its work until the 1990s. The forest inside the protected area has not been worked since long ago, but protected area regulations allow for some commercial forestry in some specific areas.
In olden days the reindeer was an important resource and actively hunted. Traces of hunting facilities as fall pits or “cillá” (short horseshoe-shaped wall made of rocks from which hunters fired their arrows) can be found here and there. After been hunted for thousand of years, the reindeer were eventually tamed, and reindeer husbandry is an important way of life for the sami population in Kvænangen even today. There are three reindeerhurding units (districts) that use areas inside the protected area Kvænangsbotn.