Coastal Management & Environmental Planning Policies
of the CELRL in France
ELENI STAMATIOU*, and RICHARD LACROIX **
* Architect-Dr. Town Planner, Regional Planner
** IT Consultant, Researcher
144 Amfitheas Ave, Athens 17562, Greece
Abstract: Unauthorized human activities and other factors represent a threat to the coastal zones. The CELRL (Conservatoire de l’ Espace Littoral et des Rivages Lacustres), a government initiative, since its founding in 1975, is transforming degraded areas into landscapes and ecosystems restored to their natural beauty. Case studies illustrate its methodology and demonstrate its successful results. This French example would serve as a reusable pattern for other countries around the world.
Key-words: - Coastal Management, Environmental Planning, CELRL, IFREMER, France
1 Introduction
The Conservatoire du littoral (CELRL), is a member of the World Organization for the Conservation of Nature (UICN), is a public institution founded in 1975. Itfollows a land policy aiming at the final protection of natural spaces and the landscapes on the coastal and lake shores and can intervene in the coastal cantons in metropolis, in the overseas departments (in Mayotte), as well as in the bordering communes of the estuaries and the deltas and the lakes of more than 1000 hectares.It acquires fragile or threatened lands on friendly terms, by pre-emption, or exceptionally by expropriation. Donations can also be made to it or bequeathed [1,2,6].
After having made the necessary repair work, it entrusts the management of the lands to the communes, with other local communities with associations so that they ensure its management with respect to the formulated guidelines. With the assistance of experts, it determines the way in which acquired sites must be arranged and managed so that nature could be as beautiful and rich as possibleand defines its uses, in particular agricultural and of leisure which are compatible with these objectives [6].
As of July 1, 2004, the CELRL ensures the protection of70 500hectares out of 300 natural sets, representingapproximately 860 km of coastal zones.
Its annual budget is about 30 M€, of which 25 M€ focused on the acquisition and the installation of the sites. The essence of these means comes from the State. The local communities and Europe bring also their contribution. Companies’ patrons andprivate individuals also provide financial contributions.
The team of the CELRL is relatively small: a hundred people, with the Royal Rope manufacture in Rochefort, Paris and the seats of the regional delegations. Recruitments are carried out especially among the civil servants. This small team is particularly powerful: it acquires each year 2 000 to 3 000 ha, which leads it to negotiate and sign an act of acquisition per day. 150 guards of the coast, recruited by the local communities and the administrative organizations, to which approximately 300 young employed persons are added,ensure, throughout the coasts, the monitoring and the maintenance of the sites protected by the CELRL.
Fig. 1: background, Golf of Ajaccio,
The beach of Ricanto in the foreground
International Networks:
The CELRL develops international cooperation programs in order to consolidate its experience and more and more, at the request of foreign countries, in the capacity of acknowledged expert. This is how it is the cause of expert networks and that it is consulted in the frame of international programs of nature preservation and protectionof the natural environment. The CELRL is involved with amongst others a) International Networks: UICN, Eurosite, EUCC, Green Register, Conventions, Mediterranean Cooperation, b) Research Programs: Natura 2000, GIZC, and Life, Recreate nature [2, 5, 6].
2 CELRL experience in restoring
threatened coastal areas
Acquisition marks an important stage of the intervention of the CELRL. It is, however, only the starting point of an original process in which the CELRL ensures the responsibility for the owner but entrusts the management of the coastal zones to other partners. Once acquisition carried out, the CELRL intervenes on two levels: 1) development of a plan of management which is based on an ecological assessment and lays down the objectives to be reached to ensure a satisfactory safeguarding of the site, and 2) realization of work of rehabilitation: fixing of the dunes, works of management of water. To achieve these objectives, the CELRL Principles of management include: 1) Biological diversity: To safeguard biological diversity and the landscape requires installations and a management specific to each site, 2) Ecological Engineering: the CELRL innovates by using the techniques of the ecological engineering systematically, 3) The reception of the public: It is desirable on the sites which support it. On the other hand, the motor vehicle traffic is prohibited, the car parks are reduced to the bare minimum and natural, the equipment is adapted and modest, 4) The built: The essential buildings with the management of the site are maintained in the state those preserved for their architectural or historical value, must find a use compatible with quality of the site. All the others are destinedto be destroyed, 5) Agriculture: An adapted agriculture is often the best management, tool 6) Forests: The forests are subjected to the forest mode, 7) Hunting and sports activities: They can be incompatible with the vocation of certain sites. On the others, they can be exerted only within strict limits. The sporting competitions are proscribed. To illustrate the theory above, examples of CELRL projects in subsections 2.1 through 2.4. (Last one in some detail) Illustrate CELRL Management and Environmental Planning Policies applied to sites across French coastlines.
2.1 Testa Ventilègne-Corbara (South Corsica)
Spreading on 500 hectares on the communes of Bonifacio and Figari, this acquisition supplements the preceding acquisitions made on the West coast of Bonifacio. They allow the constitution of a vast land unit of almost 3000 hectares stretching on more than 30 kilometers of shores which border the natural reserve of the mouths of Bonifacio and to protect the site from Testa Ventilègne. The lands of the CELRL and the neighboring Marine natural reserve jointly constitute a natural whole of very great quality where the protection of the marine environment and of the terrestrial environment could be carried out simultaneously to guarantee the safeguarding of rich and very fragile ecosystems in the long term [3, 4, 5, 6].
Fig. 2: Mouths of Bonifacio (Photos T. Cuisset )
2.2 L'île du Nord - Gauriac (Gironde)
Located in the estuary of the Gironde, the island Sourget (44 hectares) has wet mediums which can be used as zone of rest with the migratory birds. This dammed up island forms part of Green island unit, island Cazeaux. In addition to the external dams, interior dams were built in order to obtain a bulk-heading and consequently, a specific hydraulic operation to each element of the insular unit. Its former owner, deceased in 1999, lived there as a hermit during nearly 30 years. The pieces with the abandonment take the appearance of wet meadows are very interesting for avifauna.
Fig. 3: Acquired end 2001, the island of the north has strong potential for avifauna.
2.3 Archipelago of Riou (Calanques)
The archipelago of Riou consists of a cord of 4 islands and 6 small limestone islands across the Calanques area, site of major importance for the nesting of protected marine birds.
Preservation of the singularity of an insular ecosystem of great ecological value whose balance is in danger:
Fig. 4, 5: Left: To preserve and increase the richness of the natural inheritance Right: To support the nesting of the birds in the small islands.
Away from the strong human disturbances, the archipelago of Riou offers deep-sea birds an open sea refuge with sheltered nests. The adaptive strategies with the dryness, the winds, the salt and the absence of soil confer on the vegetation a high degree of originality. But these rare species undergo the pressure of external factors, in particular of overpopulations of seagulls, rabbits and black rats, sources of deep disturbances of the insular ecosystem. The management of the site concentrates on the fight against a vulgarizing of the natural inheritance, by decreasing the impact of the disturbing factors and while seeking to instigate the populations of species to strong patrimonial value.
The Site Manager: CELRL-studies the ecosystems of Provence in association with the protection of regional natural spaces of high biological value.
CELRL Objectives of management: To preserve the diversity and the specificity of the indigenous flora, by the control of the proliferation of the invading plants, the limitation of the harmful effects due to the introduced animal species, the reinforcement of the populations of threatened species. To ensure the survival of pelagic populations of birds, re-introducing in the archipelago the specific insular sites qualities which led these marine birds to reproduce there (reduction of the impact of the perturbing factors: introduced species, anarchistic frequentation). To organize the frequentation to minimize its impact on the ecosystems, by taking into account the localization of the natural resources. These objectives were defined in the Plan of management 1998-2002 [3, 4].
CELRL Results: The management of the archipelago of Riou and the carried out publicity campaigns completely modified the perception of these islands: previously simple play-ground for yachtsmen, they from now on are identified like an alive site carrying an exceptional ecological inheritance. The fine scientific follow-up of the natural environment made it possible to release the broad outline of the ecological changes and to define priorities of management to rehabilitate the insular ecosystem.
CELRL Perspectives: The archipelago of Riou profits from a statute of natural reserve since 2002. This tool is complementary to organize the frequentation so that it remains compatible with the conservation of the natural inheritance, and a means of perennializing a rigorous management of the natural environment. Another orientation is due to the need for binding management of the terrestrial and marine environments, considering the importance of dampings. A new ecological assessment is envisaged in 2005, to know the evolution of the natural environment and to measure the impact of the actions implemented.
2.4 Restoration of the Dunes of Ricanto (Corsica)
Located at the doors of Ajaccio, and the immediate surroundings of the airport of Campo Del Oro, the Dunes of Ricanto are the subject of a vast program of work: restoration of the dune, evacuation of rubble, drain of the public and the vehicles, creation of a hike, protection of the flora and particularly rich fauna. The budget of an amount of 0, 69 M Euros, was financed by the Office for the environment of Corsica, the State, the European Community and the CELRL. The site must become again an ecosystem of great value, a door of entry to Corsica and a space of relaxation near Ajaccio.
3 Case study: the Restorations of the dunes of Ricanto (Corsica)
Ricanto [Fig.1] is a most characteristic example of the restoration actions of the CELRL which we describe below [Fig. 6,7].
Fig. 6, 7: Situation before; Situation after works
The general principles of the ecological and landscape rehabilitation of Ricanto are illustrated in Fig. 10, this project spreads over 1.3 km and concerns a surface of dozens of hectares.
Fig. 8: Ricanto, of today. Legend: 1 beach, 2 reconstructed dune row, 3 access path to the sea, 4 sandy moor, 5 low stone wall, 6 public walk, 7 row of pine trees, 8 parking area, 9 road.
The parking, promenade and pine trees of Ricanto. A) The parking of vehicles, which was done spontaneously in the past anywhere between the road and the moor, is now organized in angle parking areas alongside the airport access road. A traffic manoeuvring lane enables users to maneuvre without interrupting traffic circulation. B) The Promenade, public walk with a width of 2.80 meters, runs alongside the parking from one end to the other of the site; pedestrians can use it in all safety to walk, or jog thanks to a row of wooden stakes preventing access to vehicles. The ground is stabilised, of natural look and comfortable to walkers. C) The Alignment of parasol pine trees, umbrella shaped pine trees form an edge alongside the airport access road, providing a spectacular example of anemomorphosis (impact of strong winds on the morphology of trees) has been stretched alongside the promenade, up to the traffic circle; 45 new trees have been planted and are each protected by a wooden support frame. In order to facilitate their growth, an automatic watering system is in place.
Fig. 9: Ricanto, profile: 1 sandy moor, 2 low stone wall, 3 public walk, 4 row of pine trees, 5 parking, 6 traffic manoeuvring lane, 7 road.
The low stone wall spreads over 1.3 km. Thanks to it, the sandy moor, and the beach are clearly separated from the areas that have been altered by man: road, parking and promenade. The workmanship of the wall reminds us of the old traditional dry stone walls. The wall was built using granite quarry stones, whose colour was carefully selected to best integrate itself to the site. Stone splinters are inserted between stone blocs for a more traditional finish. Sea access ways are in place every 100 meters to enable pedestrian access to the beach. Each and everyone of these access ways is indicated on either side by the presence of monoliths of granite. Access for the handicap is scheduled, in cooperation with the city of Ajaccio, with the seasonal installation of a removable moving walkway for the access path nearest to the traffic circle, ensuring that wheelchairs can circulate easily without risk of sinking into the sand.
Fig. 10: The low stone wall at Ricanto
Reconstruction of the sandy moor: the reconstruction of the sandy moor at the back of the beach was a difficult and long term project. The scrubbing of the big embankment as well as of the two other raised strips of land has enabled the CELRL to expose the underlying ground of sand. After the evacuation of 10 000 m3 of spoiled earth, the support from the municipality of Ajaccio in providing a cleaning machine of the beaches has enabled the pick up of the remaining residues of earth fillings and to complete the cleaning of the treated surface. A significant effort of re-vegetation was completed at the location of the big embankment: surface sand, picked from the airport area, was spread. Rich in its reserve of seeds, it enables natural vegetation to develop spontaneously. Furthermore, seeds of diverse flora varieties that are present on the site were collected manually and scattered on the sand. Furthermore, brooms and figworts produced in a nursery were planted from the cuttings taken from the site together with seeds provided by the Mediterranean botanical conservatory of Porquerolles.