After the closure of the Stekenjokk mine, restoring nature around the mine site proved difficult. Boliden, together with Ecogain, has developed methods to recreate natural vegetation on the site.
During the summer, Vildmarksvägen and Stekenjokk have been a popular destination for home stays. What not everyone knows is that one of Boliden's old mining areas is actually located there, in the middle of the bare mountain.
The mine was active in the 1970s and 1980s, after which the mine area was rehabilitated according to a rehabilitation plan approved at the time. Traces of the mine are no longer visible. But the barren climate in Stekenjokk has made it difficult to re-establish natural vegetation in the area, which has been important for the Vilhelmina södra sameby, among others. One of the goals of the attempts to bring back nature has therefore been to recreate good reindeer grazing.
In 2020, Boliden and Ecogain have planned the remediation of a five-hectare area within the old mine site. Lessons learned from previous small-scale method trials were used to develop methods that work for large-scale rehabilitation in this type of environment.
The biggest challenge has been to scale up the small experiments to something that can be done over large mountain areas. Imagine the art of getting an even sowing of creeping bentgrass in one of Sweden's windiest places while each seed weighs a measly 0.00043 grams.
- Linnea Forssén, project manager at Ecogain.
By first adding nutrients and then loosening the soil surface, the experts created suitable germination points. The hope is that in a few years, the area will resemble the surrounding mountain heath.
It feels great to be able to translate the experience and knowledge we have gained over the years with test squares into a more full-scale aftercare. I now look forward to the follow-up when we finally evaluate the project."
- Andreas Vallmark, Project Manager Boliden.
It is already clear that the methods tested were feasible, even though some machines were far from their usual working environments!
