- "We are pleased to award 43 volunteer teams funding for local history walking routes as part of the Year of the Volunteer," says Hanna Geiran, National Heritage Officer.
- Old routes, paths and roads are important cultural monuments that have bound us closer together for centuries. The volunteers who work with these cultural monuments do a fantastic job. It is particularly gratifying in the Year of the Volunteer that those who organize, manage and disseminate this cultural heritage can now be given a little more leeway," says Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide.
As part of the celebration of the Year of Volunteering 2022, the Government allocated NOK 2.5 million to be used to promote and support local volunteer efforts to organize, manage and communicate local, historic routes, paths and roads. Each association could apply for a grant of up to NOK 100,000.
- "We received 190 applications," says Geiran, "which shows that there is a lot of commitment. We've received applications for everything from clearing paths, new benches and tables for picnics, signs and markings on the roads to drainage and new bogs. The funds will be used to maintain and facilitate historic paths, roads, routes, circuits and other routes.
The routes must have been used for travel and transportation in earlier times or be linked to a historical theme. It is also important that the projects facilitate increased engagement and visibility of the local, historic routes in 2022.
Prior to the award, the total application amount was just over NOK 5 million. In order to ensure rapid disbursement, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage has followed the county councils' and the Sami Parliament's proposed priorities.
- "We've chosen to give to as many people as possible, but still in such a way that it adds up to reasonable progress," says Geiran. Most of the sums are therefore between NOK 40,000 and 70,000. Some simpler projects have received lower sums, while only one project achieved the full pot of NOK 100,000. This is DNT's Fieldfarerruta project in Tafjordfjella.
