National Parks: the threat of a merger with the OFB worries the territories

RMC discusses the case of eleven national parks, protected natural areas such as the Calanques in Marseille, Mercantour, and Réunion. Since the Minister of Public Accounts' announcement that she wants to abolish or merge a third of state agencies, the parks have been concerned about a possible merger with the French Office for Biodiversity.

A merger that, according to them, could cause them to lose their local roots. On this subject, a Senate report published in early July fueled their concerns. It proposed integrating national parks into the OFB. The objective, according to the rapporteur, is simplification. By eliminating the parks' 11 legal structures, this would, she believes, reduce the hidden costs associated with their management.

A project that "totally runs counter to environmental preservation and the need for proximity," according to Stéphan Maurin. The President of the Cévennes National Park deplores this accounting measure. Today, the eleven parks operate with an annual budget of just over 70 million euros. "That's nothing compared to the 40 billion that needs to be found," the elected official sighs.

The parks are also concerned about a loss of effectiveness in their actions. Today, the system in place allows for the establishment of joint projects with local authorities, which contribute to their funding. For example, the establishment of the Sugiton cove reservation in Marseille. If the city hadn't been involved in the decision, it would have been much more complicated to convince it to fund this project, believes Didier Réault, president of the Calanques National Park.

On the OFB side, a union representative points out that the Office already manages the accounting, payroll, and training of national park agents. According to him: "We're already at the maximum of what we can do in terms of pooling resources while remaining reasonable." For now, the Ministry of Public Accounts assures that nothing has yet been decided on the future of national parks.