The cork oak, a key player in economic heritage
At the 10th Cork Oak Weekend, François de Canson reaffirmed the Région Sud's support for a strategic wood sector.
On October 17, the Jardin de Baudouvin was the capital of the Provençal timber industry. The 10th edition of the Cork Oak Weekend gathered professionals and the general public around the economic and ecological issues of an essential regional heritage.
Inaugurated by François de Canson, the president of the Région outlined the main directions of his action in favor of the Mediterranean forest and the territories.
Personally affected by the summer's devastating fires, the president praised the exceptional mobilization that made it possible to preserve the massifs. He recalled that the forest, which covers 51% of the regional territory with 1.6 million hectares, is a fragile collective asset: “We all remember those terrible fires we experienced this summer […]. And I believe that if we succeeded, it is because we are lucky enough to have the best firefighters in the world in this department of Var, and also because with the Région we brought the Pélicandrome back to the Hyères base, which means we have Dashes at our disposal and that on starting fires, we can send planes continuously.”
Prevention above all
Paying tribute to the firefighters, the security forces, and the prefect of Var for obtaining additional aerial resources, he insisted on the importance of prevention and forest management: “When the forest burns, it is the heritage, it is the biodiversity, it is houses, it is our collective history that goes up in smoke. Our mission is to prevent, maintain, clear brush, and renew this forest.”
A challenge of economic reconquest
Beyond protection, François de Canson advocated for a genuine economic reconquest based on local resources. The cork oak is thus presented as a pillar for future sectors, from bio-based materials to eco-construction: “We face a challenge of economic reconquest. Cork can find its place in all materials, bio-sourced, insulation, eco-construction, craftsmanship, and new local processing industries. We must not let it disappear, we must remain mobilized.”
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François de Canson wishes to support the strawberry tree sector, notably through a project in La Londe-les-Maures, and reaffirmed his support for the association Forêt Modèle de Provence.
For him, the forest is a multifunctional space, combining production, leisure, and tourist attractiveness: “The cork oak gives us a great lesson: even after the ordeal of fire, it possesses this ability to start anew, to regenerate itself, and to recover its strength. It is up to us to demonstrate this determination for our territories: rebuild, protect, transmit, without ever giving up.”
A new regional policy
Elected at the head of the Région, François de Canson outlined a governance method based on proximity to local elected officials, whom he considers too often forgotten by national authorities: “It is from the territories, with local elected officials, that we manage to build. When we see what is happening in France today, I think we have forgotten local elected officials, and the further we get from the field, the less we have a sense of responsibility and the less well things work.”
In this context, he committed to reallocating the regional budget to support municipalities, despite reductions in state grants, which he estimated at €150 million last year and €50 million this year.
Finally, addressing Julien Argento, the mayor of La Valette-du-Var, he concluded: “Mr. Mayor, the program and budget I am preparing will be a budget available to local authorities, leaving it to the local authorities to reach out to the Région so that together we can achieve great things with a view to preserving this territory blessed by the gods.”
Photos Alain BLANCHOT.