PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The "Pays de Gavot" is a plateau, with an average altitude of 900 metres, overlooking Lake Geneva. The presence of clayey moraines favours the welling out of the ground water in spring so that many wetlands scatter the plateau. Some of them are habitats of Community interest such as the Molinia meadows and various kinds of bogs, including active raised bogs, a priority habitat. Various sites have been identified here where Liparis loeselii occurs, an orchid listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive. The richness and biological diversity of these habitats are largely due to the agricultural past of the plateau. Consequently, abandonment of these traditional activities is leading to an invasion of woody shrubs in the marshes and an ongoing process of terrestrialisation due to the accumulation of organic matter.
Aware of the value of these wetlands, which also supply the springs of mineral water exploited by the Evian company, a network of municipalities has committed itself to a conservation policy and an improvement of these habitats, with the support of the Rhône-Alpes Region.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE project fitted into this overall programme and targeted the conservation and restoration of sites of Community interest. It foresaw:
The elaboration of a "document d’objectifs", the Natura 2000 management plan, that outlines the objectives to be reached, according to the methodology used by the LIFE project 'Management plans for future Natura 2000 sites'. The acquisition of all the core areas of the marshes in order to carry out management and restoration measures there. The restoration of marshes and the implementation of management measures. The project intended to eliminate trees and bushes, which had colonised them, and then to implement regular mowing including the removal of the organic matter to allow the marshes to be kept in good condition. Access to visitors and the promotion of tourism to these sites from the surrounding villages.
RESULTS
Although benefiting from a relatively low budget compared to an average LIFE-nature project, this project has achieved most of its objectives. It managed to restore the core areas of the fens that had been abandoned for 50 years and to set a stable ground for a long-term management to maintain the habitats in a favourable conservation state.
The "document d’objectifs" that covers 38 wetlands spread on the plateau was validated by the national authorities at the beginning of 2001. It was preceded by scientific inventories and proposed a list of management measures for each of the fens. A very detailed and operational management guide has also been produced on 12 sites of the project. For each site, it includes a detailed map of the natural habitats, a map of concrete actions to be carried out and a provisional planning and budget. The land acquisition has permitted to restore and protect permanently the core areas of the fens, even if the initial objectives (41 ha of land purchase and 14 ha of land right purchase) could not be reached due to the underestimation of the land price. A total of 16.8 ha of fens have been purchased and the convention signed for 14.3 ha. Due to the large number of land owners of small areas, the acquisition process had to be carried out before any intervention in the area. The restoration objectives have been achieved on the acquired land. 13.3 ha have been restored, spreading over 9 fens. Management measures have been implemented after restoration. In order to mow the reeds, a special machine adapted to wetlands has been used for the first time in the area. Thanks to its very large wheels, it can operate in areas inaccessible for standard machines and its impacts are limited. These actions have permitted to enhance the natural interest of the fens that host numerous species and habitats of Community interest. One of the project sites (the Praubert bog) hosts the most important population of Liparis loeselii in the area. The first action of restoration carried on this site consisted in mowing the reeds invading the fens and it quickly led to a growth of orchid population. The involvement of local stakeholders in the elaboration of the "document d’objectifs" and other communication actions have contributed to the increase of the value of the Gavot fens among the local population and to a better knowledge of the Natura 2000 network. The LIFE-project has been implemented in synergy with another programme funded by the Region, offering the possibility to carry on restoration and communication actions after LIFE. Although benefiting from a relatively low budget compared to an average LIFE-nature project, this project has achieved most of its objectives. It managed to restore the core areas of the fens that had been abandoned for 50 years and to set a stable ground for a long-term management to maintain the habitats in a favourable conservation state.
The "document d’objectifs" that covers 38 wetlands spread on the plateau was validated by the national authorities at the beginning of 2001. It was preceded by scientific inventories and proposed a list of management measures for each of the fens. A very detailed and operational management guide has also been produced on 12 sites of the project. For each site, it includes a detailed map of the natural habitats, a map of concrete actions to be carried out and a provisional planning and budget. The land acquisition has permitted to restore and protect permanently the core areas of the fens, even if the initial objectives (41 ha of land purchase and 14 ha of land right purchase) could not be reached due to the underestimation of the land price. A total of 16.8 ha of fens have been purchased and the convention signed for 14.3 ha. Due to the large number of land owners of small areas, the acquisition process had to be carried out before any intervention in the area. The restoration objectives have been achieved on the acquired land. 13.3 ha have been restored, spreading over 9 fens. Management measures have been implemented after restoration. In order to mow the reeds, a special machine adapted to wetlands has been used for the first time in the area. Thanks to its very large wheels, it can operate in areas inaccessible for standard machines and its impacts are limited. These actions have permitted to enhance the natural interest of the fens that host numerous species and habitats of Community interest. One of the project sites (the Praubert bog) hosts the most important population of Liparis loeselii in the area. The first action of restoration carried on this site consisted in mowing the reeds invading the fens and it quickly led to a growth of orchid population. The involvement of local stakeholders in the elaboration of the "document d’objectifs" and other communication actions have contributed to the increase of the value of the Gavot fens among the local population and to a better knowledge of the Natura 2000 network. The LIFE-project has been implemented in synergy with another programme funded by the Region, offering the possibility to carry on restoration and communication actions after LIFE.
