Reforestation of Spruce Forest Affected by Bark Beetles - Saint-Alban d'Hurtières (Savoie)

Le Projet

 The project involves reforesting an area of 6.2 hectares on the upper slopes of the Hurtières mountain range, within the Belledonne massif in Savoie (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), at an altitude of between 1,280 and 1,300 metres. The aim is to restore a 60-year-old spruce forest that has been partially destroyed by repeated attacks from bark beetles (pest insects).

Planting of 3,630 seedlings of four species (Douglas fir, European larch, sessile oak, chestnut) over an area of 3.25 hectares, with the aim of recreating a diverse and resilient forest, oriented towards an irregular and mixed high forest, better adapted to climatic and health hazards. In addition, the existing peripheral crown of deciduous trees (maple, beech, birch, spruce) is being preserved over 2.95 hectares in order to support natural regeneration, structural diversity and protection of the site against erosion.

 

Department of Savoie

Saint-Alban d'Hurtières is a commune in Savoie, located 55 km east of Chambéry and 32 km south of Albertville, in the Northern External Alps sylvo-ecoregion. The project is located in a heavily wooded area, where mixed and coniferous forests coexist with mountain pastures and mineral spaces characteristic of the alpine environment.

The site is located in close proximity to a biodiversity reservoir and on a functional ecological corridor with high permeability, as identified by the Rhône-Alpes Regional Ecological Coherence Scheme (SRCE). It is also part of the ZNIEFF Type II ‘Belledonne Massif and Chaîne des Hurtières’ area, highlighting the exceptional natural value of the territory — emblematic mountain fauna, rare silicicolous flora, remarkable wetlands — to which reforestation actively contributes by restoring the quality of the forest cover and maintaining the ecological continuity of the massif.