Concurrence agriculture-forêt en moyenne montagne : une responsabilité locale

Unlike the rest of the world as a whole where forest areas are decreasing on a dramatic sale, in France woodland is progressing especially in moderately mountainous areas taking up space left by farming. This progress may well be in opposition to the objectives that have been given wide publicity, to maintain in these areas an agricultural population and activity. But the farming-forest competition is not often referred to either by politicians or by scientists. Their judgment is most often branch by branch. Even in texts intended to analyse the spatial aspects of planning there is this reticence. The term "zonage" is used to exorcise the fear of competition between grass and trees. The problems posed by this competition especially in moderately mountainous areas supposes that a choice should be made between farming and forestry objectives. Such choices cannot be made seriously bearing all the facts in mind except at a very decentralized level. They reflect local social forces. Two extreme cases are given : the Méjan Causse (1,4 inhabitants per sq. kilometre) and the Southern Vosges in Lorraine (100 inhabitants per sq. kilometre), illustrate this.