Projects that affects cultural monuments
If you are planning a project that is in conflict with protected cultural monuments and their associated protection zones, then you can apply for an exemption with regards to the protection. For notifications regarding excavation/drilling in Longyearbyen, separate procedures have been established.
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage decides on exemptions for projects that affect protected cultural monuments and associated protection zones. The application is submitted to The Governor of Svalbard who will forward the case to the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage with a recommendation. It is the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage that will decide on the case. The decision of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage can be appealed to the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment.
The Governor can make decisions on the adjustment of protection zones for automatically protected cultural monuments. Reducing the protection zones has previously been done when there is a great need for development and where the extent of the protection zone is not crucial to safeguarding the automatically preserved cultural monument. Applications for reducing the protection zones are submitted to The Governor.