PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The 11,000 ha covered by the nine proposed sites of Community interest (pSCI) involved in the project include 7,500 ha of public forests (beech, oak, maple, box and juniper pioneer vegetation, etc.) and associated open habitats (calcareous grasslands and meadows, scree, limestone pavements, etc.). The area contains 20 types of habitat of Community interest, six of which have a priority status, and 17 species listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive, including the plants Cypripedium calceolus and Liguria sibirica and the insect Callimorpha quadripunctaria. These woodland environments are struggling against economic demands resulting from the intensification and standardisation of forestry production techniques or, conversely, suffer from neglect. Therefore, in order to conserve at least some of these environments' natural habitats, changes must be made to the forestry management methods employed, in order to nurture all the stages of plant growth, in both time span and area, through actions ranging from the maintenance of open habitats to the preservation of old trees.
OBJECTIVES
The project aimed to define and implement sustainable methods of managing woodland and grassland environments by striking a balance between the economic, social and environmental functions. It was based on a close partnership between the public authority responsible for managing public forests in France (the ONF) and a regional NGO (Conservatoire des Sites Naturels Bourguignons). The work had to be carried out in the nine pSCIs involved in the project, and led to the development of a sustainable forest management strategy which can also be used for private forests. Over 500 ha of private forest habitats of special interest need to be included to facilitate this management strategy. Forest management plans and grassland restoration work programmes will be drawn up for all these sites in order to apply the aforementioned strategy. Arrangements will be made to compensate private owners for any operating constraints. Limits on public use will be imposed. Finally, it is anticipated that regulations will be drawn up to protect those forests and grasslands with the most outstanding features.
RESULTS
Thanks to an active cooperation between the forestry service, the beneficiary and an NGO, Conservatoire des Sites Naturels Bourguignons, the project has globally achieved its objectives and most of the expected results. The "Office National des Forêts" was directly responsible for actions related to forest habitats and species and the "Conservatoire" was in charge of actions on dry grasslands sites. However, there was an interesting knowledge transfer as regards various subjects. Among annexe II species, the knowledge of the isolated populations of Cypripedium calceolus and Liguria sibirica increased considerably and has been used to develop an appropriate managment for them. For example, foresters now know the best level of tree clearing to apply that will maintain and improve the ecological conditions for the lady’s slipper, and a new reserve has been proposed for these species in the Forêt Domaniale de Chatillon. The knowledge of dry grasslands has also significantly improved. The inventory performed covers 1700 of the 3000 ha of this habitat type in Burgundy, which allowed the project to identify the global trends and make conservation proposals at a regional scale. Detailed studies were undertaken to prepare the management and restoration of each site. While the land purchase proved more difficult than foreseen, with only 25 ha purchased instead of 120 ha, this was largely compensated by land leases covering 180 ha and agreements with 17 municipalities covering 1230 ha. Some 70% of the grasslands of the 9 pSCIs are now covered by these agreements, assuring their correct conservation management. Moreover, the project carried out the removal of invasive scrubs on 35 sub-sites. Various types of scrubs were tackled and different techniques were experimented. Grazing was reintroduced on 420 ha on 21 sites, allowing degraded grassland to be brought back to a favourable condition. In forest habitats, the project carried out pilot trials and developed new guidelines on how to manage and maintain a nucleus of older trees, in order to favour the biodiversity linked to dead wood. These pilot measures are now implemented and endorsed in public forests, and the guidelines will shortly be distributed the owners and managers of all public and private forest. The comprehensive restoration and management activities had also a positive effect on the inhabitants and stakeholders, who are now directly involved in the conservation of their sites which are now more attractive. A number of sites, for example, are now part of local tourist circuits. The project also stabilised the job of one local shepherd and helped 9 additional shepherds to develop their activities. Finally, the project has drawn up five management plans for its Natura 2000 sites ('documents d’objectifs'). Together with the mobilisation of local stakeholders this has strongly reinforced the implementation of Natura 2000 at the regional scale."
