THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A group of Little auk at Isfjorden, Svalbard. Photo: Jo Anders Auran.

The Directorate is one of five central government agencies under the Ministry of Environment. The head office is located in Trondheim and has a staff of approximately 250 employees. Our main areas of responsibility lie within the conservation of biological diversity and insuring sustainable use of Norway’s natural environment. This includes a wide array of themes:

• environmental impact assessments
• spatial planning
• national parks and other protected areas
• outdoor recreation
• nature inspection and ranger services
• wildlife management
• invasive and endangered species
• salmonoids and freshwater fish
• environmental aspects of biotechnology
• motorized traffic
• the Svalbard environment

International commitment
The Directorate has national management and advisory responsibilities for several global and regional conventions. We serve as an advisor to the Norwegian Directorate for Development Cooperation (Norad), and cooperate with national agencies in several developing countries.

Activities related to the Arctic include regional cooperation in the Arctic Council; the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and bilateral cooperation with Russia; national policy and legislation related to Svalbard, Jan Mayen and the Barents Sea.