Saint-Jean-d'Illac

Reforest'Action invites you to restore the Landes forest located into Landes of Gascogne massif. The project aims to plant maritime pines and birches in order to reconstitute as quickly as possible plots severely affected by storm Klaus in 2009.

The project at a glance

• Nomber of trees to be planted: 200 000
• Arrea : 50 hectares
• Species planted : maritime pines and birch
• Type of project: restoration of a degraded stand
• Planting Period: Fall - Winter 2018/2019

History of the massif

Part of Landes forest has a natural origin. Some areas of Gascon coast were already forested two thousand years ago and occupied nearly 200,000 ha. These massifs were found near Lacanau, Arcachon, La Teste de Buch, Biscarrosse and in Marensin. The first planting techniques were developed in these forests very similar to those known today. 

In 2009, Klaus storm devastated the heritage of this region, leaving behind broken or lying wood, expensive to extract and conducive to the spread of fires. Like our project in Saint Jean d'Illac, many plots still bear the marks of this tragedy.

The Landes massif, located in New Aquitaine, covers nearly one million hectares, making it the largest artificial massif in Western Europe. It's mainly a private forest. This softwood forest is best suited to these harsh conditions areas. In order to allow an enrichment of the stands, the owners wish to plant hardwoods like birch to diversify and reinforce the massifs. Located in the heart of the Landes de Gascognes massif, our project will fit perfectly into the various landscapes found in this massif and in particular the "pignada" (pine forests).

Saint Jean d'Illac plantation

We are planting in various communes on this project, mainly Saint Jean d'Illac. The company in charge of the plantations here is our partner Beynel, which will mainly plant maritime pines particularly well adapted to the region's infertile soil. Maritime pine is endemic to the region as it is also called heathland pine. It was mainly planted in the 19th century following the work of the agronomist François Jules Hilaire Chambrelent because it is a tree which appreciates an exposure in full sun, in an ordinary ground. The goal was, at the time, multiple:

• to clean the swampy ground thanks to the water filtration by the pines ;
• hold back the sand dunes that were moving further and further inland;
• to provide an interesting tree to exploit to a population having at the time rather few sources of income.

This pine cultivation has remained in the region where it has become a forest species of major importance for South-West Europe.