Forest fires: private forest owners demand more resources and a 50-meter no-build zone

Following the fire that ravaged over 42.000 hectares in the Gironde region, the Fransylva federation asserts that forest owners are already working to adapt their forests to climate change. It calls for the reinstatement of funding for forest regeneration, improved enforcement of mandatory brush clearing, and the creation of buffer zones in urban planning documents.

The Federation of Private Forest Owners' Unions of France, Fransylva, has reacted to Emmanuel Macron's call to "rebuild a different forest" after the large-scale fire that has been affecting the Landes de Gascogne forest since July 22.

More than 42.000 hectares have been ravaged by fire in the Gironde region. This area, one of the main production zones for the French forestry and timber industry, is largely composed of maritime pines. Drought, high temperatures, and the increasing proximity of homes exacerbate its vulnerability to fire risk.

Emmanuel Macron calls for "rebuilding a different kind of forest"

During a visit to Gironde on Monday, July 27, the President of the Republic called for adapting the reconstruction of the massif to the new climatic conditions and the evolution of urbanization.

"We will have to, we know, replant and rebuild a different forest," because "we must adapt to the structural conditions of climate change" and "to the pressure of housing and tourism that has developed in recent decades," said Emmanuel Macron.

Fransylva denounces the suspension of renewal aid

The federation of private foresters asserts that forest adaptation is already underway on the ground, but is hampered by reduced public support and rules deemed incompatible with certain forestry work.

“Adapting forests to climate change is the daily work of foresters. Depending on soil constraints, climate and the use of wood demanded by society, we work towards forest renewal and the sustainability of the forest. While the government has suspended the support fund and has never questioned standards that are contradictory to active and sustainable management,” Fransylva stated in a written declaration to AFP.

The federation specifically refers to the closure of the public funding window dedicated to forest renewal, which it had already denounced at the beginning of July. However, it does not detail all the standards it considers to be contradictory to fire prevention and the adaptation of forest areas.

A 50-meter no-build zone is requested around the woods

Fransylva believes that fire prevention must also involve an evolution of urban planning rules in areas located near forests.

"The pressure from urban planning is real: we need to integrate into urban planning documents a buffer zone where construction is prohibited less than 50 meters from woods, better enforce legal obligations for brush clearing (OLD) and reclassify in the land registry the 3,8 million hectares of forests still classified as agricultural," demands Fransylva.

The creation of a no-build zone would constitute a new urban planning regulation, separate from the existing legal obligations for brush clearing. In areas prone to wildfires, these obligations require vegetation to be reduced within a 50-meter radius of buildings, construction sites, and facilities. This distance can be extended to 100 meters when local needs justify it.

Legal obligations for brush clearing apply to owners of buildings and equipment located in an area exposed to the risk of forest fire or within 200 meters of such an area. Enforcement of these obligations falls under the mayor's responsibility.

A necessary assessment before the restoration of the massif

Fransylva reiterates that extinguishing the fire remains the priority. The federation believes that "a precise assessment of the damage will then allow us to measure the consequences and define the most appropriate actions to support forest restoration within a framework of sustainable management."

Following the Fontainebleau fire, the organization had already denounced the decrease in public funding allocated to forest renewal and "dangerous rhetoric seeking to put the forest under a glass dome." It advocates for active forest management, based in particular on forestry work, sanitary felling, species selection, and stand renewal.

A budget of 100 million euros is desired for 2027

In mid-July, the Government announced the preparation of a "major investment plan for French forests." The Minister for Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, expressed her wish that 100 million euros from the 2027 Green Fund be allocated to forest adaptation.

This funding package currently represents a guideline announced by the minister. The conditions for its allocation, the eligible beneficiaries, and the actions that can be financed remain to be defined.