ACKNOWLEDGING
PUY MARY
The emblematic pyramid
of Puy Mary (1 787 m) proudly oversees the
Cantalien volcano which is the largest volcano in
Europe (2 700 km²).
Its green grazing lands,
brought to life by the herds of red Salers cows,
reveal the presence of man, and his economic and
cultural stronghold in an authentic land, rich in
tradition and highland know-how (mountain villages,
transhumance, Cantal cheese making, gastronomy,
volcanic stone cutting, etc.). More than ever, nature
dictates the way of life of inhabitants and visitors.
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Grand Site also hosts a rich and preserved
nature at the heart of the Parc
Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne.
Remodelled by water and ice, the breathtaking
landscape that resulted from this erosion
has been protected since 1985: 10,000 ha spreading
out like a star along the ridges from the
peak of Puy Mary, are part of this listed
natural site (by the 1930 law).
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One
characteristic of this site is that several main roads
facilitate access to this exceptional site thereby
contributing to the overload
of tourists. Nearly 600,000 visitors discovered
the protected part of the Grand Site this summer (counted
between 15/06 and 15/09) and mainly on the Col du
Pas de Peyrol, highest road pass in the Massif Central
(1,585 m).
The Grand Site of Puy Mary, the most visited
natural reserve in the Auvergne region, unveils all
its beauty but also all its fragility. The excessive
number of visitors causes a considerable
amount of degradation compromising the fragile
natural balance on the massif, and therefore its very
future. The means for dealing with such a high flow
of tourists are inadequate in relation to the quality
and notoriety of the site.
Des paysages exceptionnels... Sylvia Bonal
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In
addition, the returns for the local economy are far
from what would be expected from such popularity.
Conscious of the risks
run for the quality and integrity of the site due
to the constantly increasing number of tourists, the
Conseil Général du Cantal (county council)
initiated Operation Grand Site “Puy Mary - Volcan
du Cantal”, currently being implemented by the
Syndicat Mixte du Puy Mary (joint association).
...qui souffrent d'une fréquentation excessive SMPM
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Montée du Puy Mary SMPM
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11 March 1999, the project was approved by the
Commission Supérieure des Sites (the sites' high
commission) and Perspectives et Paysages (Ministry
in charge of the Environment), so as to envisage
the preservation, development and on-going management
of this highland domain - jewel of Cantalien heritage. |
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