Vätsäri Wilderness Area

Wilderness area in Inari, Finland

The Vätsäri Wilderness Area (, Vätsäri ödemarksområde) is located along the northeastern shore of Lake Inari in Inari, northern Finland, stretching all the way to the Finland–Norway border. The landscape is dominated by taiga forests of Scots pine, bog and bodies of water. The northeastern part rises as a treeless fell ridge. Vätsäri is one of twelve wilderness areas in Lapland and covers an area of The reserve covers an area of Most streams in Vätsäri flow into Lake Inari, which has the Pasvik River as its outflow. Construction of the Paatsjoki River Hydroelectric Plants has changed the hydrology considerably, providing for a more stable regulation of Lake Inari, but reducing the flow speed. Water levels are now highest during autumn and lowest during spring, opposite of before. The bedrock consists of basement gneiss with occasional slate and volcanic rock. The Inari Basin was created after the last glacial period when an ice blockage in the Pasvik River hindered the draining of melted water in the area. The climate is harsh and allows only a limited growing season of between 110 and 120 days. Temperatures may rise to during summer, but fall to in winter. The northeastern part of the reserve is moderated by the Barents Sea and so winter temperatures are higher and there is less snow. Precipitation is during the year, half of which falls during the growing season. Not until June does the ice melt.

The area was populated in the Stone Age by Inari Sami people shortly after the last glacial period ended about 8000 BC. The first documents from the area are tax records from the 16th century. The Inari Sami originally subsisted on hunting, gathering and especially fishing; later they began to complement this by reindeer husbandry, and later still by farming and herding cattle and sheep. The area belonged to the Inari Siida beginning in the Middle Ages. Until the border was closed in 1852, the Sami from Norway came during winter to herd their reindeer. The closing of the border caused some Norwegian Sami to settle in the area and continue with reindeer husbandry. This caught on among the Inari Sami, and the amount of husbandry increased during the 20th century. People in the area traveled up Lake Inari and onwards to the coast of Finnmark, Norway, to fish during summer. Records of markets in Finnmark date back to the 16th century, and in the 1880s about 150 people traveled to the coast each year. Logging in the southern part boomed during the 1920s, when logs were driven down the Pasvik River to Elvenes and Jakobsnes in Norway. The twelve wilderness areas in Lapland were all created in 1991 to protect both the natural wilderness and the Sami culture. These areas combined cover an area of , where such activities as road construction and mining are prohibited, as is logging in some areas. Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park was established in several steps: Øvre Pasvik National Park was created in 1970, the Russian part of Pasvik Nature Reserve was established in 1992, and the Norwegian part created the following year. In 2003 the national park was expanded and Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area was established, creating a continually protected area spanning three countries. The area is not a strictly protected area, instead falling into the Natura 2000 network. Limitations include the mandatory maintenance of forests in their natural state and a ban on logging. The sale and leasing of land is prohibited, as is construction of permanent roads and mining. The park can be accessed from National Road 971 and 969; public transport is available to Nellim. The Piilola Trail is the only marked trail in the park; it is and connects the reserve to Øvre Pasvik National Park. Its northern starting point is at Sortbryststjern in Norway and the southern end is at Kessintie Road. The trail is so demanding that it is not recommended for beginners. Lake Inari offers good fishing, making it a popular visitor attraction in the reserve. Boating on the lake is popular and harbors are located in Inari, Veskoniemi and Nellim, in addition to several places where boats can be launched. The open parts of the lake can be stormy. There is a canoeing route which connects Lake Inari to several adjacent lakes, with two open wilderness huts along the route. During winter there is a snowmobile route between Nuorgam, Näätämö, Sevettijärvi, Nellim, Ivalo and Inari.