Large parts of the area around the Bjørnstadåi power plant are characterized by human activity, including forestry operations. This includes areas with forest roads, logging sites, and timber tracks. The road to the power station was established as an upgrade of an existing forest road and has been restored as an ATV track after the construction period. A permanent road has also been built to the dam and intake in Bjørnstadåi, following the route of an old tractor track.
The power plant blends well into the surrounding landscape in Fyresdal. From the outlet of the transfer pipeline, the water flows freely and mostly over bare rock before being directed into the main intake. Three intakes have been built, two of which maintain a minimum water flow throughout the year. The penstock is buried along its entire length, and water from Gjerdåi is carried through a 400 mm PE pipe over a distance of 1,200 meters before continuing in the existing stream system to the main intake in Bjørnstadåi.
