Co-organized by the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, Fibois Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the National Center for Forest Property (CNPF), this meeting aimed to present the professions of the forest-wood sector and expose elected officials to the realities on the ground. The forest-wood sector is one of the main economic sectors in the area, but its realities and associated professions remain poorly understood, despite being central to many issues: sustainable forest management, stand renewal, forest access, and local resource valorization.
Forest exploitation can lead to misunderstandings or even conflicts, particularly when works temporarily alter the landscape or affect communal roads. For elected officials, it is essential to better understand the sector's operations and the working conditions of professionals to grasp the different stages of a project, understand the needs of companies and the constraints of owners, and better situate the challenges of sustainable management within their municipality.
With this in mind, a 'Live My Life as a Lumberjack' day was organized. The visit took place at a worksite of the company SAS Duchange, specializing in manual logging. Elected officials were able to directly observe the work of lumberjacks in a chestnut coppice cutting.
Beyond the technical demonstration, this immersion allowed for a better understanding of the constraints of forestry work, the necessary skills, and the daily realities faced by forestry contractors (ETF). This is a physically demanding and technical profession requiring good knowledge of tree stands, adaptability to terrain conditions, and constant attention to safety.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the evolution of harvested volumes, equipment modernization, the health status of Périgord-Limousin stands, forest renewal, as well as issues of forest access and roads. The regulatory framework applicable to public and private forest owners was also discussed.
This initiative, conducted as part of the Park's Territorial Forest Charter, aims to lay the groundwork for more informed dialogue among forest stakeholders and to collectively build sustainable forest management. It foreshadows the revision of the forest charter, planned for 2027.
