Its wide experience
through the Life-Nature programme "Peatlands of France"
(1995-1999) enabled Espaces
Naturels de France, Fédération des conservatoires
d'espaces naturels, coordinator of the programme, to be commissioned
by the Ministry of
Ecology and Sustainable Development for the setting up,
management and animation of a national resource centre about
the knowledge, the sustainable management and the assessment
of mires on the French territory.
This centre was created according to the National Scheme for
Wetland Conservation launched in 1995 by the French government,
and based on the fact that one third of the original wetland
surface had disappeared in France within the past 30 years.
The implementation
and the management of the Resource Centres were devoted to national
or regional structures known for their accurate experience in
the field of the management of the different types of wetlands
in France. They receive financial support through the National
Office of Water and Aquatic Biotops (ONEMA).
Five Resource Centres have been implemented in late 2001 : they
respectively focus on Atlantic marshes, Mediterranean lagoons,
large inland wetlands (lakes, fish ponds, marshes), small ponds
and mires. A sixth Centre, devoted to alluvial valleys, is on
project.
The general aims
of the five resource centre focus on four main items :
- to identify
and develop tools for monitoring and assessing measures taken
in favour of wetlands,
- to promote the coherence of public policies,
- to start the environmental restoration of wetlands,
- to implement information and increase the environmental awareness.
Since 1995, the
Scheme for instance enabled the implementation of a National
Research Programme for Wetlands (PNRZH), coordinated by the
"Bureau des Recherches Géologiques
et Minières" and of a National Observatory for
Wetlands (ONZH)
which management has been entrusted to the French Environment
Institute : http://www.ifen.fr/zoneshumides
.
The need for
developing and supporting new projects for a sustainable management
of wetlands quickly appeared. Thus, the task devoted to the
five Resources Centres, invluding the Mires Resource Center,
aim at :
- gathering and giving access to the knowledge about the management
and development of wetlands, implementing a who's who in the field
of mire conservation, then gathering and enabling the access to
the useful information,
- promoting a sustainable management through the support of favourable
local policies, through advices and help, and also through the
development of partnerships between managers,
- assessing the results of and collaborating to the measures of
the National Scheme, by a contribution to the work of ONZH,
by a periodic assessment of the actions implemented, by informing
about the problems identified and the solutions found to face
them.
The " Mire " Resource Centre is located in Eastern
France, in Franche-Comté, a region very rich in mires.
Animated by a staff of four people, the Centre is supported
by a network of correspondents : scientists, managers of various
organisations, and members of the Administrations involved in
the sustainable management of mires in France. This network
receive a bimestrial electronic letter "Tourbières
infos", which enables a fast information flow about
the main regional or national actions in the field of the sustainable
management of mires.
A documentation
centre is open in Besançon (Dept. Doubs) ; animated by
a documentalist, it gradually gathers an important information
collection devoted to the ecology and management of mires. The
access to the documentation basis is also possible (through
Internet). This Centre publishes bibliographical synthesis
about useful subjects for managers. It also publishes, for instance,
the newsletter "l'Echo des Tourbières", and
animates this web site for public information.
The staff of
the Centre gives scientific and technical support to local managers
having to face particular problems. They particularly support
regions whose "mire-rich areas" did not benefit from
enough actions, in terms of inventories as well as of management
programmes.
The Resource
centre proposes actions for increasing public awareness and
actions targeted to the different users and managers of mires.
In the field of Forestry, training courses, help for the management
or the restoration of sites will be enhanced through an agreement
with the National Forestry Board (ONF).
Similar actions are being tested with the technical services
of Private forest owners (CRPF).
In the field of agriculture, a special care concerns the re-conduction
and enhancement of the agri-environment trials, using tools
like Natura 2000 management contracts, Contrats d'Agriculture
Durable / Contracts for Sustainable Agriculture… As for
peat extraction, the Resource Centre promotes"Peat free
composts". In relation with the extraction holders and
the "Natura 2000" sites managers concerned, advices
to develop new products and to restore damaged sites will be
given.
Finally, the
coordinator of the Resource Centre will link the field managers
and the concerned administrative services to reveal local situations
and difficulties and propose measures for the public policies
related to wetlands to be more coherent.
To provide its missions, the Resource Centre has a management
committee, and a scientific council chaired by Dr Olivier Manneville
(University of Grenoble).
Staff
Project manager : Francis MULLER
Documentalist : Sylvie RABOIN
Technical and scientific officer : Jérémie CHOLET
Secretary : Marie-Christine HOUARD and Stéphanie BLAIS
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