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. 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 enjoy 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 and sparse vegetation. There hasn’t been registered any occurrences of rare or endangered flora, but no surveys have been made recently. However, in an around these lakes some 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 workable forest is found outside the protected area, but some can be found in the west. 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 old “Storslåtta” 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 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. The forest was also very important for procuring lumber for buildings and shipwrights. There are several lumber mills in the area, and the saws didn’t stop their work until the 1990s. The forest inside the protected area is no longer worked, but regulations allow for industry in some specific areas.
In olden days the reindeer was an important resource and actively hunted. Traces of “bogastelle” or “cillá” (short horseshoe-shaped wall made of rocks from which hunters fired their arrows) can be found here and there. The reindeer were eventually tamed, and reindeer husbandry is an important resource in Kvænangen even today. There are three districts reindeer use for grazing that are protected in Kvænangsbotn.