French National Parks

Preserving nature

French National Parks offer a network of places considered remarkable for their natural and cultural diversity.

They celebrate the harmonious balance between humans who have shaped landscapes through activities such as grazing, farming and forestry, and nature, including untouched environments in places ranging from Alpine summits to ocean depths and tropical forests.
The National Parks are located across France to protect and promote numerous species, and a large number of natural and rural spaces. The network is a model of environmental protection and has received national and international recognition for the parks’ excellent management methods as well as their biological and geological quality standards.
National Parks are constantly changing, with the aim of passing on the heritage preserved to future generations and providing spaces for people to reconnect with nature.

A French take on National Parks

French National Parks are public institutions under the authority of the Ministry of the Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

Since 2017, they have worked under the French Biodiversity Agency, which manages the network in order to promote exchange and joint projects. The network makes an active contribution to national plans and programmes in order to build a common future for biodiversity and sustainable development.
National Parks are locally-run and governed by a board of Directors, primarily composed of local elected officials.
They each have a local charter, drawn up in partnership with local stakeholders, which municipalities may choose to sign.