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Imagine a clear blue sky, the sun shining brightly, sparkling white snow, some ptarmigans in the mountain birches, a snowmobile parked on the lake, a few people ice-fishing beside it, a sooty coffee kettle on the fire burning gently, some souvas (smoked reindeer meat) in the frying pan and some people sunbathing on reindeer skins in a snow-drift. This is paradise for most of us living here and if you ask anyone what they think constitutes the quality of life, this is what they almost always mention.

Many of us take this for granted, as it has always been like this. It is a matter of course. For me it is really important to defend our right to stay in the mountain areas of our municipality and the right to use the snow-mobile in the mountains but it is not so sure that we can retain this right. Now and then the right to go by snow-mobile in the mountains is questioned. Representatives for the ministry of sustainable development want to protect some areas and create quiet zones where snowmobiling is prohibited. They also want to create a no fly-over zone. Many of the locals in Arjeplog find this really stupid since very few tourists go into mountain areas by ski, and even if they do, they mostly follow the tracks made by the snow-mobiles.

Another thing to remember is that rights are accompanied with responsibilities. It is necessary for all snow-mobile drivers to respect permanently prohibited areas as well as the temporarily prohibited areas. The temporary prohibitions are made due to the needs of reindeer herding and come into being from the 7th of April.

I hope that you all get a chance to experience the Arjeplog quality of life when you are here. Take the chance to go up into the mountains and experience the dramatic mountains and the endless wide open spaces.  See the snow-mobile track in front of you disappear on the horizon and the only sound you can hear when you stop the engine of the snow-mobile is the sound of your breathing and the pulse of your beating heart. At moments like these you can feel very small and lonely but you also really feel that you are a part of Nature. The feeling is really overwhelming and amazing and will give you new perspectives!

Bengt-Urban Fransson
Mayor of Arjeplog