FEDERATION DES PARCS NATURELS REGIONAUX DE FRANCE

Activity area: Reception of the public / Assistance to the visit, Association of professionals, Cultural engineering / cultural tourism, Cultural mediation

Federation of regional natural parks of France

Regional natural parks aim to ensure the economic and social development of their territory, while preserving and promoting natural, cultural and landscape heritage. The wealth of the Parks lies in the transversality they demonstrate, by integrating biodiversity issues into their territorial projects.

The Parks are inhabited territories recognized nationally for their rich heritage. They are created by decree of the Prime Minister but arise from local will. It is also a national brand, owned by the State.

Parks are open spaces without regulatory power. This is why we practice consultation there, perhaps more than elsewhere. Convince rather than constrain is the state of mind which guides the drafting of the charter which commits member municipalities, local authorities and the State to a territorial project. This charter is renewed every 15 years.

France today has 58 regional natural parks, two were labeled in 2021. They represent more than 4,900 municipalities, 4.4 million inhabitants and 9 million hectares, or 17% of the metropolitan territory. More than 2,200 agents work there. The Federation aims to lead the network by working to share experience and represent Parks at the national level.