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MULTI-PURPOSE MANAGEMENT AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO FOREST
BIODIVERSITY: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE MANAGEMENT IN FRANCE
OFFICE NATIONAL DES FORETS (FRANCE)
FOREST PLANNING OF THE ROMERSBERG To get a better grasp of the context of the
STATE-OWNED FOREST t Romersberg forest study, we must first briefly outline
the already age-old history of forest management in
by France (I-Iuffel, 1925; Badr_, 1983).
Christophe Gallemant
Forests deeply marked by man
Office National des For_ts
Lorraine Regional Office
In France, as in Europe, people have been using
forests for thousands of years either for their
and resources, or to turn them into farmland. So there is
Robin Degron
Office National des For_ts
Nancy-Toul Division
now virtually no virgin forest left, even in highaltitude
mountainous regions, and forest stands are
deeply marked by human activities.
Ever since the Middle Ages, population growth has
ushered in both a thirst for new lands to feed people
ABSTRACT: As throughout the world, sustainable and heightened needs for construction timber and
forest management has been the focus of much lively fuelwood, a principal energy source. This situation
discussion in France since the early 1990s. The
duly took the form of largescale land clearing and
upkeep, not to say reinstatement, ofbiodiversity is excessive logging in the remaining forests.
the main theme of such discussion. The Office Politicians then became conscious of the need to
National des For_ts, which manages 4.5 million protect forests from farming pressures, on the one
hectares of public forests-i.e, or.e third of France's hand, and, on the other, to log these same forests in
forests- is deeply involved in this area, by
such a way as to conserve their wood production
incorporating this new aspect of society's capacity, in the long term.
requirements in its choices and management
methods. Many centuries of forest management experience
To this end, several studies have been undertaken, in In France, one of the earliest official documents on
orderto better describe the influence of forest
this topic is 650 years old. In Article IV of the
management methods on biodiversity, and improve Brunoy Ordinance of May 1346 concerning the royal
them where necessary,
forests, king Philippe VI of Valois stated quite
clearly: "The Masters of the Forests shall visit all the
forestsandwoodlandsthatarethereandcarryout
The studies embarked upon in 1991 in the
Romersberg state-owned forest, in Lorraine, are
the sales to be held there, so that the said forests and
among the most comprehensive, where this theme is woodlands may be maintained on a permanent and
concerned, and have culminated in the formulation sustainable basis". 2
of a new forest management plan, which pays
greater heed to biodiversity.
This law was followed by many other laws and
regulations, all deriving from the same principle,
Key Words: sustainable forestry, biodiversity, The Forest Code of 1827, which is still the basis of
forest planning, multi-purpose management. French forestry rules and regulations, is the
culmination of this lengthy history. In introducing
very strict rules about land clearance, including
privately owned forests, the Code has effectively
protected the forest and halted the drop in France's
2"Les _ des Forets enquerrontet visiteront toutes les
t Presentedat the joint meeting ofthe Council On Forest Engineering
for£qs et bois qui y sont et feront les ventes qui y sont _tfaire,
and International Union of Forest Research Organizations Subject
etaregard _tce clue lesdistes forC_tset bois se puissent
Group $3.04.00, Marquette, ML July 29-August 1, 1996. perp6_ellement soutenir etabon 6tat".
22