|  special
but fragile area
The
Mercantour National Park was established in 1979
in this long-recognised area of precious natural habitat.
As an alpine park close to the Mediterranean,
this extremely original geographical location gives
rise to a very varied landscape : rocky areas, glacial
cirques and valleys strewn with deep blue or brilliant
green lakes, vast high alpine pastures, thick forests,
narrow valleys, picturesque gorges and crystal clear
rapids / streams / torrents / waterfalls. Since the
1960 act of parliament instating the National Park system,
seven parks have been established : Vanoise, Port-Cros,
Pyrenees, Cevennes, Ecrins, Mercantour and Guadeloupe.
This
network of protected areas has lead to the increasing
development of international exchange programmes, and
in 1987 the Mercantour National Park was twinned
with the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime (formerly
the Argentera), conferring a European dimension to the
area.
The
managing bodies of the Mercantour National Park have
been assigned several objectives:
- Nature
conservation and the protection of landscapes and
places of interest.
- Maintaining
biodiversity in the areas governed by the Park.
-
Rendering the Park's natural resources accessible
to present-day visitors and transmitting these resources
to future generations.
-
Helping to promote environmentally friendly behaviour
which respects the balance of nature. - In seeking
to achieve these aims, the Park has become a conservation
area of national importance.
National
parks are inhabited areas, and their resources must
be protected and managed accordingly. A National Park
authority should be part of the local economy, through
local area planning, activity development and the creation
of a public image designed to encourage eco-friendly
tourism. |
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