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What is a Regional Natural Park?

Created 40 years ago, Regional Natural Parks have the function of protecting the remarkable natural and cultural heritage of high-quality but fragile natural areas which can be threatened by devitalisation or by excessive urban or tourist pressure. They strive to guarantee harmonious economic and social development of their territories based on respecting the environment. Born from local initiatives (the communes that make up the territory of the Park have signed a twelve-year Charter), 45 areas are currently classified "Regional Natural Parks" awarded by the Ministry for the Environment. They cover 13% of the national territory and are home to 3 million inhabitants.

A regional natural park has the following missions:

- to protect and manage the natural and cultural heritage, in particular by management adapted to the natural environments and the landscapes;

- territorial development, contributing to the definition and guidance of development projects;

- economic and social development, by organising and coordinating economic and social actions to guarantee quality of life in their territories; the Park supports companies that are respectful with the environment and put its natural and human resources to advantage;

- welcoming, educating and informing the general public. It encourages contact with nature, creates awareness of environmental issues among residents;

- experimentation. The Park contributes to research programmes and has the task of starting up new procedures and methods for action.

A bit of geography

In 2007, the 45 Regional Natural Parks accounted for:

13% of the national territory

21 metropolitan regions, plus the Park territories in Guyana and Martinique, 68 départements,

3,706 communes,

7 million hectares,

3 million inhabitants.

Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France

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What is a National Park?

A National Park is an exceptional territory where biological and scenic quality, cultural wealth and historically preserved nature justify protection and management that will guarantee the permanence of this heritage considered to be of public interest. A National Park delimits a high-protection area with few or no inhabitants called a "central zone" protected by ministerial decree, and an inhabited peripheral area grouped around a sustainable development project". This is a territory chosen by the state.

They are controlled by the State and their main aim is to protect and conserve fragile natural spaces.

There are nine such parks in France, including the Cévennes National Park, located in the southeast of the Massif Central.