France adds 157,000 hectares of protected forest as nature preserves face pressure elsewhere

From the rainforests of French Guiana to ancient woodlands in eastern France, thousands of hectares of forest are gaining new protections.

On Tuesday 9 June, France said it has created seven new biological reserves and expanded two existing ones. Together, they safeguard an additional 157,000 hectares of forest as it works toward placing 10 per cent of its land under ‘strong protection’ by 2030.

“In concrete terms, this translates into less pressure on natural environments and stronger protection for species and habitats,” says Monique Barbut, France’s minister for ecological transition, biodiversity and international climate and nature negotiations.

However, the vast majority of that land – around 99.5 per cent – lies in a single reserve in French Guiana, France’s overseas territory in South America. The new reserves in metropolitan France collectively cover under 1,000 hectares.

What forests are being protected?

The new protections span a wide range of landscapes.

By far, the largest is the Armontabo Rocky Peaks integral reserve in French Guiana – a 156,290-hectare expanse of tropical rainforest and granite peaks that accounts for nearly all of the land announced.

The remaining eight reserves, spread across metropolitan France, range from the mountain forests of Bannes-Ravines in the Vosges to the Mediterranean woodlands of Pas de la Lauze in Hérault.

Other newly protected sites include the ancient forest of Buronnières in Seine-et-Marne, the high-altitude forests of Chamalière-Peyre-Ourse in Cantal and the ecologically rich forests of Chatte-Pendue in Bas-Rhin, Twins of Ornes and Vau des Loups in Meuse.

Several of the new reserves will be left to evolve naturally without logging or other forms of exploitation, while others will be actively managed to protect vulnerable species and habitats, the ministry says.

The expansion raises the share of French territory under what the government calls ‘strong protection’ – areas where human activities are tightly restricted to safeguard ecosystems – to 6.43 per cent. It also brings the number of France’s biological reserves to 276.

France's broader forestry goal is to bring 250,000 additional hectares of forest under protection by 2030 – of which 180,000 hectares are earmarked for French Guiana.

A global push to protect nature

Governments around the world are creating new protected areas as they work towards a goal of conserving 30 per cent of the planet’s land and sea by 2030 – what’s known as the 30x30 target, a commitment agreed to in 2022.

On World Environment Day – 5 June – UNESCO designated 14 new biosphere reservesacross 11 countries, including sites in Italy, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

That followed the addition of 26 new biosphere reserves across another 11 countries last year, which UNESCO described as part of an “unprecedented expansion” of its global network.

The organisation says biosphere reserves help protect biodiversity while supporting scientific research, education and sustainable development. Together, they now cover hundreds of millions of hectares across more than 130 countries.

Protections are still being rolled back elsewhere

Not every country is moving in the same direction as France, though.

In Brazil, environmental groups have condemned the country’s so-called ‘devastation bill’, which became law last year despite fierce opposition from conservationists.

The law eases environmental licensing requirements, expands self-licensing for some projects and fast-tracks developments deemed strategically important.

Meanwhile, under Donald Trump, the US has done everything from opening one of the world’s largest protected marine areas in the Pacific to commercial fishing to proposing new vehicle access and commercial activities across parts of the national forest system.