The French Mire Resource Centre, which is part of Eurosite member
" Fédération des conservatoires d'espaces naturels
" wishes to explore, with other interested organisations from
different mountains of Europe, the impacts of winter sports on mires
and other mountain wetlands. The date chosen corresponds to the
World Wetland Day with its appropriate moto: "Upstream - Downstream,
Wetlands connect us all".
Main concept
Through practical examples, this workshop will address the main
issues arising while planning, developing and running ski resorts
facilities located around mountain wetlands. The impact of ski resort
facilities on nature conservation, such as the modification of the
water regime due to new types of equipment (for instance, the construction
of water retention facilities for the production of artificial snow),
the impact of ski resorts on the quality of water (gritting roads…),
the impact of disturbance on fauna, accessibility issues, are the
type of issues to be addressed.
We will explore innovative ideas stemming from ski resorts, local
authorities, administrations, NGOs and other stakeholders, either
already in place or on the drafting table. We will explore new issues
coming from recent evolutions: economic changes, climate change,
the evolution of tourism.
Main objectives of the workshop are to:
- understand the impact of ski resorts on mountain wetlands within
different uplands situations: from the high altitudes of the Alps
to lower mountaineering altitudes of different mountains of Europe
- study the feasibility of working further together, developing
relationships on this theme with other interested organisations
in other mountains of Europe, developing a European project with
regional partners in Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland…
(Interreg).
This workshop
- will include indoor communications on half a day, followed by
an excursion on the same premises on 3rd Feb. pm (possibly on skis
or snowshoes according to the snow cover) to illustrate the relations
mires/wintersports in the French Jura.
- will be followed by a conference on Feb 4th, in St-Laurent en
Grandvaux**, that would close a cycle of meetings held in France
on this topic, which included all the main French mountain chains.
Participants to the Eurosite workshop are kindly invited to participate
to this conference.
The indoor part of the Eurosite workshop will be held in English
and French with partial translation (bilingual Powerpoints and summaries),
the excursion will be bilingual, and the conference on Feb. 4th
in French only.
Several publications are projected, as well
as information on our website:
¤ a 4 pages leaflet about 'mires and winter sports'
¤ a special issue of our newspaper 'L'Echo des tourbières'
¤ a chapter in the book currently being written on 'managing
mires in middle height mountains'
¤ the proceedings of our meetings.
Events organised by the French Mire Resource Centre are sponsored
by the Regional Council of Franche-Comté and by the Regional
Direction of the French Ministry in charge of Ecology.
* meals and accomodation will take place in a chalet with view
onto a bog, and in close vicinity to Nordic ski pists, see this
page
** the conférence is planned to take place in the town hall
of St-Laurent, possible access by train: line Dijon/Dole/St-Claude.
Station: St-Laurent (Jura)
Registration form available here : 
If you or others within your organisation
would be interested in either contributing to, participating in
or learning more about this workshop, we would be pleased to hear
from you.
Please let us know : Francis
Muller (Director) -
francis.muller@pole-tourbieres.org
/ +333.81.50.15.05
Sponsors
