Environment agency wants shorter snowmobile season on Svalbard

NRK reported on 13 October that Miljødirektoratet (the Norwegian Environment Agency) has assessed whether the rules on motorised traffic on Svalbard need to change. The backdrop is climate change and increased traffic.

NRK said the agency points to a need to set a start date and an end date for the snowmobile season. It also points to leading traffic onto fixed routes and reducing the areas where driving is allowed. Bolterdalen is named as an area where the current seasonal driving ban could apply all year. Klima- og miljødepartementet (the Ministry of Climate and Environment) confirmed to NRK that it has received the assessment.

NRK reported on 18 March that the directorate had been asked to assess whether the rules should be tightened or changed. The task rested on a report from Norsk Polarinstitutt (the Norwegian Polar Institute) and followed up the Svalbard white paper. The deadline was 17 August 2026.

Jo Gytri, deputy leader of Longyearbyen lokalstyre (the local council), said the directorate's approach seemingly overlooks safety and the Svalbard policy aim of making it attractive for Norwegians to live there.

For background, Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard) said in a 2024 notice that only permanent residents may drive snowmobiles in the green snowmobile-free area on map A until 1 March. After 1 March, snowmobiling there is prohibited for everyone.

Correction, 27 October 2026: an earlier version gave the local council deputy leader's criticism but not the reasons the directorate was asked to make its assessment, and did not name his party. It now gives both.

Coverage: NRK