A few weeks ago, the municipality of Levens submitted a request to the Ministry of Agriculture to register its Atlas cedars, situated on Le Férion, in the registry of seed-bearing stands. This initiative, proposed by the National Forestry Office (ONF) following a site visit by the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), aims to classify these trees as an approved stand for the harvest of selected seeds.
This decision, based on the exceptional quality of the stand, will allow for the production of seeds intended for reforestation. It acknowledges the long-term forest management efforts undertaken by the municipality, including interventions that were sometimes misunderstood but always aimed at regenerating and balancing the communal forest heritage.
The admission, which will be formalized by a ministerial decree, will not impose any additional constraints on the municipality regarding planned felling and work. Levens will also retain full freedom to authorize or deny each harvest, which must be carried out without damage to the stand and at the expense of authorized harvesters. The municipality will receive a fee based on the volumes harvested.
Beyond the economic valorization of harvests, this registration highlights the contribution of these seeds to rebuilding forests better adapted to climate change. It is in this spirit that the municipality, at the initiative of Dominique Brossard, Municipal Councilor, offered the Town of Fontainebleau to make this resource available, following the recent fires, should it prove useful.
This gesture of solidarity was gratefully received by Mr. Julien GONDARD, Mayor of Fontainebleau, who forwarded it to the relevant services. This national recognition reinforces Le Férion's role as a well-maintained and valued local heritage, capable of contributing to the collective effort for more resilient forests.
The Férion massif is thus recognized not only as communal heritage but also as a concrete contribution to the strategy of adapting our forests and securing their future for the benefit of all.
