The Natural Regional Park of Grands Causses

Created in 1995, the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park is located in the North-East of the Midi-Pyrénées region and in the South of the department of Aveyron. With a surface area of 327,070 ha and 97 municipalities, it is one of France’s biggest parks. Its headquarters are based in Millau, which is also a gateway town to the Causses and Cévennes Property.

Gorges of the Dourbie © PNRGC

The regional parks were created to protect and enhance large, inhabited rural areas. They manage their territory by means of a charter which sets out a 12-year protection and sustainable development plan.

It was the first park in France to follow an Agenda 21-type process in drafting its current charter (2007-2019). This document commits the local authorities, consular chambers, the department of Aveyron, the Midi-Pyrénées region, the public-private partnerships and the State, which approves it by decree.

The Grands Causses Regional Park, where agro-pastoral activity plays an important role, naturally faces some important issues in addition to those relating to the management of the Causses and Cévennes Property, which is a World Heritage Site.

Thus, the charter covers four major issues for its territory:

Issue 1: The long-term preservation of natural, cultural and landscape heritage
Issue 2: Positive demographic evolution through mobilisation of economic stakeholders
Issue 3: Territorial harmony and geographical and human balance
Issue 4: Involvement of the local population and local stakeholders in the territorial plan.

To address these issues, four strategic directions have been set out, each divided into operational objectives, to define their areas of intervention and the action programme in particular.

Strategic direction 1: Develop joint management of the natural, cultural and landscape heritage, while respecting future generations
Strategic direction 2: Implement a business development strategy throughout the territory, focussing on local initiatives and welcoming businesses to the area
Strategic direction 3: Increase the attractiveness and balance of the territory
Strategic direction 4: Strengthen the partnership dynamic and the performance of territorial management

To find out more about the park : www.parc-grands-causses.fr