We hear about it, often through its acronym PNR. Three letters to designate a joint union bringing together 48 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes and extending over 90,000 hectares. But what is the concrete mission of the Regional Natural Park of the Préalpes d’Azur? Who is working on it and with what objectives?
A link between the actors
The structure has around twenty employees on average.
“We lead the dialogue between the various competent authorities in the territory to reconcile economic development and the preservation of heritage, whether it is the soil, the air, the water or the forest”, summarizes the director of the park, Elisabeth Gallien (1). The technical team collaborates with the elected representatives of the communes. “The role of the park is to monitor the implementation of ambitions, to ensure that everyone keeps their commitments, continues the director, anxious to popularize the actions carried out. We can, for example, support municipalities that are revising their local urban plan (PLU) and see how they fit into the Park. In particular on the consideration of remarkable environments: how to respect these places?
Elected officials are sometimes demanding to better understand and preserve what makes up their municipality. If the marking of hiking trails is managed by the Department, the PNR works globally for the preservation of the territory.
“We have a mission to raise awareness and educate about sharing space. A team of ambassadors, salaried agents, criss-cross sensitive sites to meet residents and visitors. The question is how to develop hiking pedestrian without impacting these sensitive environments? The park does not act alone. “The Department can agree with people in the territory: the Hiking Federation, hunters, etc. All users of the environment are somehow managers of the territory.”
Different issues depending on the sector
Spéracèdes in the south, Le Broc in the east, Séranon in the west or even Ascros in the north: the territory concerned is vast and the issues may differ from one area to another.
“This territory is 70% covered by forest. It has spread a lot, municipalities are sometimes 90% wooded! We want to help the actors to do silvopastoralism, for example by putting strong animals to maintain. We has also put people around the table who can say what type of wood should be kept. And then there are the issues around water.”
And agriculture in all this? “It plays an essential role, but it is an activity that is difficult to pay for. We must reflect so that the model of economic breeding finds new life.”
Anticipate the summer period
The effects of heat can be severe. The PNR seeks to anticipate them.
“The fire risk is historically high but is not the same everywhere in the Alpes-Maritimes. Here, hazards are frequent but we have the means to fight. (…) In particular, we have the regional forest guard, a system to which we have access for two months. We recruit eight agents strategically positioned on the territory of the Pre-Alps and they raise awareness, rather at the end of the day, to warn people who would go camping. They encourage them to be vigilant, especially with fires and cigarettes. These agents, we recruit them, we manage them, we supervise them and we train them.
1. Project manager, Sylvie Daviller was also present during the interview.
2. Activity that combines silviculture (the activity of maintaining forests for commercial exploitation) and grazing.
Bringing ideas to children
The awareness component is essential in the actions carried out by the PNR. Since 2017, it has spread a little more, particularly affecting young people.
“All of this also involves children. We have an environmental and land education program aimed at young audiences. We therefore offer awareness-raising slots with schoolchildren, around themes such as water, the forest , the nocturnal world…”
According to the park, more than fifty classes participate each year. “We try to bring them to a reflection so that they themselves are the future protectors of these heritages.”
