What does the Park do?
Area 1: Town and country planning expertise
Preserving the integrity of natural areas
The region's countryside alternates between large cereal-growing plains and narrow valleys fringed with wooded slopes, and as a result Haute Vallée de Chevreuse offers high-quality landscapes. The valley-bottom sites, often neglected by the agricultural economy, are gradually being reforested and are losing their ecological and aesthetic assets.
The Park is encouraging the development of new farming and management methods. It is supporting widespread farming to avoid land neglect and the abandonment of rural areas.
Managing the development of urbanised areas
In order to safeguard its vast natural spaces, the Park would like to restrict urbanisation to within town and village boundaries.
• It contributes to planning studies and projects. It helps to draw up blueprints and local town planning programmes.
• It provides assistance and advice to municipalities to develop the centres of built-up areas and reinforce the village identity.
• It encourages projects which work towards greater housing variety and social desegregation.
Encouraging quality town planning
In order to reinforce the architectural identity of towns and villages, the Park is promoting a quality approach among local authorities and private individuals.
• Advice to municipalities and private individuals on the construction, modification or extension of buildings, and support for initiatives aiming to improve the quality of construction projects and public spaces
• The drawing-up of a set of architectural recommendations to catalogue urban forms specific to Park villages
• An inter-municipality housing stock improvement programme
Promoting environmental quality
Our daily environment also contributes to our quality of life. This is why the Park intends to help to control noise pollution and encourages waste management partnerships. So that all individuals play a role in improving quality of life, it encourages municipalities and private individuals to consider the environment and energy saving in their projects.
Area 2: Heritage protection
Preserving natural environments
The quality and diversity of natural environments in Haute Vallée de Chevreuse must be preserved to sustain ecosystem balance. The rivers and wetlands which are home to a huge number of remarkable species are especially important challenges.
In order to preserve the variety of these areas of such high biological and ecological value and ensure their sustainability, the Park ensures that it protects them from any silting and reforestation.
It helps to restore and manage the most sensitive sites (ponds, valley-bottoms) and to protect endangered species (owls, bats, amphibians, etc.).
Find out about the work of the Park and the Chevêche Ile-de-France Network in the area of protecting the Little Owl in the natural environment sections.
See the 2006 results of the operation to save amphibians in Etang des Vallées in the natural environment sections.
The Park has encouraged municipalities to suggest to the Département the registration of their sensitive natural areas. 75% of the area of the Park is thus categorised as ENS (Espace Naturel Sensible - Sensitive Natural Area).
The Park carries out river restoration and maintenance works in order to combat flooding, improve water quality and develop fish life.
Asserting landscape identity
The loss of the original and unique landscape features and landscape closure are dangers which threaten the territory. For this reason the Park helps to:
• Maintain the particular elements which are sources of identity (ancient trees, alignments, open meadows, copses, hedges)
• Raise local people's awareness of landscape variety (photographic monitoring, catalogues, etc.)
Reinforcing the identity of built heritage
All villages contain elements of vernacular heritage which are no longer in use or are falling into disrepair. The Park:
• helps municipalities to restore riverbanks and small-scale hertiage linked to the water: wash houses, fountains and bridges.
• upgrades traditional housing stock
Area 3: Preserving a living territory
To allow all socio-professional categories to live, work or enjoy themselves in Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, this territory must combine economic activities which respect the environment, the social equilibrium of the population and sustainable tourism.
Fostering social equilibrium
• To this end, the Park encourages the construction of small dwellings and fosters the development of low-cost rented housing
• It encourages housing stock and economic variety
Boosting economic activity
• The Park encourages the adaptation and growth of craft, commercial and service activities (direct assistance thanks to the ORAC (Opération de restructuration de l’artisanat et du commerce) programme)
• It supports the development and setting-up of businesses in the area
• It supports agricultural activity and local production
Implementing sustainable tourism
• It supports tourism which combines natural and cultural interests and facilitates contact with forms of heritage.
• It helps to restore and build walking routes and green transport links.
• It strives to extend its accommodation and catering services.
Developing cultural life
• It develops cultural facilities and tools to enhance local history and heritage
• It brings people together as part of cultural projects
Area 4: Mobilising inhabitants
With nearly 90% of the land in the area owned by private individuals, mobilising inhabitants and promoting their understanding of local issues and participation in preservation initiatives are key steps towards the success of the Regional Natural Park's project.
Boosting knowledge of the area
• To promote knowledge of the variety of the area, a magazine, brochures and themed booklets are published.
• Guides presenting hiking and walking routes are produced.
• Festive events are regularly held; the park organises exhibitions and guided tours of the area.
Involving inhabitants and local actors
• Working groups are convened by the Park to consider and propose initiatives and actions to undertake in order to achieve charter goals.
• Local actors are consulted and involved in the preparation of communication and regional discovery tools.
• Awareness is raised among inhabitants of the issues involved in preserving the area and initiatives undertaken to achieve this goal.
Broadening education about the area
• The Park is developing environmental and heritage education, offering educational work in schools and outdoor holidays.
• It also produces facilities and discovery tools.
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