I Natura 2000 in action! I

I Natura 2000 in action! I Building partnerships for effective Natura 2000 management Converging partnership approaches for the management of the Forez Plain Thursday 11 December 2014 Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Barcelona david.marailhac@cg42.fr

I Summary: I National, regional and local context The Forez Plain : presentation Managing existing measures, tools Proposed governance process and partnerships Other actions Success factors and difficulties

I Natura 2000 in France : I As other countries : contractual approach, based on the local dialogue Decentralized management 2 key elements to answer these objectives : the steering committee (Comité de pilotage/copil) consultative body involvement of all relevant actors in the concerned territory The management plan (Document d objectifs/docob) Extensive project for the habitats and species management It defines : the proposed strategic directions and management measures the general conditions for their implementation the financial support measures

I Natura 2000 in France : I 4 biogeographical regions 1758 sites (SPAs + SCIs / Sept. 2014) including 209 marine sites 12,60 % of the French land area terrestrial : 69 000 km² marine: 41 000 km²

I Natura 2000 in Rhone-Alpes : I 3 biogeographical regions 131 SCIs sites (83 SACs) + 35 SPAs (Sept. 2014) Management plans : 135 approved 24 in progress Steering committees : 154 installed 119 chaired by a local elected official (others : chaired by the prefet

I Natura 2000 in Rhone-Alpes : I 1994-2000 : difficult beginnings 2001-2004 : critical years 2005-2010 : finalising the network 2010 : maintaining the network in accord with other policies

I Natura 2000 in Loire : I

I Natura 2000 in Loire : I 16 SCIs + 5 SPAs (Sept. 2014) Management plans : 20 approved/1 in progress Steering committees : 21 installed 19 chaired by a local elected official Implementation : 60 Natura 2000 charters (30 km²) 20 Natura 2000 contracts (5,5km²) agri-environmental measures (500 farms, 120 km², hedges : 260 km

I THE FOREZ PLAINI

I THE FOREZ PLAINI Environmental issues : The Forez Plain, with more than 330 ponds, through which the Loire river runs, constitutes a major wetland for water birds and associated flora. Many conspicuous bird species are associated with ponds or fluvial environments. This area is acknowledged at the national and European levels (IBA inventory).

I THE FOREZ PLAINI TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES: The Forez Plain is a fish production and waterfowl hunting territory. A major part of these traditional activities is the direct connection to natural resource conservation.

I HISTORY I Parallel lines of actions but these approaches do not always coincide. Willingness to improve actions efficiency, and to improve the coherence of Natura 2000 policy with existing policies

I MANY DIFFERENT MEASURES (1/3) I NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS DEPARTMENTAL PLAN (SCHÉMA DÉPARTEMENTAL DES MILIEUX NATURELS) : The area contains 2 of the 5 plan s (SDMN) priority zones : Forez Plain ponds the river the Loire

I MANY DIFFERENT MEASURES (2/3) I NATURA 2000 : The Forez Plain contains 5 Natura 2000 sites:

I MANY DIFFERENT MEASURES (3/3) I WATER ENVIRONMENT POLICIES : The area is within the SAGE Loire en Rhône Alpes (Loire River in Rhone-Alpes region Water Development and Management Plan) territory, and on four different watersheds on which water environment policies are implemented (River contracts/contrats de rivière or watershed coordinated operations / opérations coordonnées) OTHERS : priority catchments, "full-sized Loire Masterplan» /Plan Loire Grandeur Nature, Biodiversity contract/contrat biodiversité,

MEASURES SCI Loire s alluvial & aquatic environments I MANY DIFFERENT TOOLS (1/2) I SCI Lignon, Anzon, Vizezy rivers and their tributaries NATURA 2000 FOREZ PLAIN SPA Ecozone du Forez Natural environments departmental plan (ENS, Water environments) SAC Forez ponds SPA Forez Plain TOOLS Natura 2000 Charter agri-environmental measures Loire s ponds programme Natura 2000 Contract Biodiversity component Water component River contracts & watershed coordinated operations FUNDING EUROPE FRENCH STATE RHONE- ALPES REGION AELB LOCAL AUTHORITIES PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS LOIRE S DEPARTMENTAL AUTHORITIE

I MANY DIFFERENT TOOLS (2/2) I TOOLS ALIGNMENT various agri-environmental measures and Natura 2000 charters alignment Building agri-environmental programme with dual issues (water/biodiversity) on the Forez Plain Loire s ponds programme/programme Étangs de la Loire : previous department tool, has been made available in the context of Natura 2000 On «ponds» habitats : alignment of the Natura 2000 charter and the Loire s ponds programme On «ponds» habitats : developping an experimental liming program, using Natura 2000 and the ENS (Espaces Naturels Sensibles) departmental policy

I A SPECIAL GOVERNANCE PROCESS I GOVERNANCE ON FOREZ PLAIN TERRITORY Forez Plain SPA Steering committee Ponds committee : Loire s Ponds SAC Steering committee + Loire s ponds programme monitoring committee agri-environmental measures technical coordinating committee Scientific Committee

I PARTNERSHIPS I To implement the Forez Plain s management plan AVIFAUNA MONITORING PART LOIRE S DEPARTMENTAL HUNTING FEDERATION / FRENCH BIRD PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (LPO) COMMUNICATION PART CONSEIL GENERAL DE LA LOIRE/CPIE MONTS DU PILAT PONDS PART CONSEIL GENERAL DE LA LOIRE/LOIRE S PONDS OWNERS UNION/ LOIRE S DEPARTMENTAL HUNTING FEDERATION AGRICULTURAL PART CHAMBRE D AGRICULTURE DE LA LOIRE/RHONE-ALPES NATURAL SPACES CONSERVATORY GENERAL COORDINATION CONSEIL GENERAL/DDT

I FIRST RESULTS I Supporting the Natura 2000 approach : 120 farmers 39 ponds owners Great majority of other stakeholders : environmental organizations, hunters, hikers, fishermen Local authorities, other managers www.plaineduforez.fr

I OTHER CONVERGING APPROACHES I

I OTHER CONVERGING APPROACHES I

I SUCCESS FACTORS I For converging partnership approaches Main objective : susbtainable development for local economy The main actors must be sufficiently recognised Gain from the learning taking place elsewhere maintaining balance between all the actors Easier : to be able to fund and implement Good level for the department : sufficiently large scale to put in place environmental policies, with financial resources By being close to the ground, to maintain technical competence, close to grass-roots level Economic aspect: sustainability and economic profitability are not necessarily contradictory, but often linked

I DIFFICULTIES I For converging partnership approaches administrative & financial rules : project rationale instead of handout rationale Which adaptations to the new institutional changes (the territorial authorities reform bill)? Making the Natura 2000 network more sustainable in a tight budgetary situation?