The natural inheritance of CNES/CSG

The CSG property covers about 69,000 hectares made up mostly of forests, i.e. a bit smaller than the départment of Martinique. Since 1966, CNES/CSG has entrusted management of this forest inheritance to the National Forestry Department (ONF- Office National des Forêts) in terms of an agreement which is renegotiated every five years.

ONF is thus responsible for surveillance and protection of the forests belonging to CNES/CSG, in particular by assigning an employee to regularly patrol the perimeter. ONF, through its sworn agents has the authority to fine anyone found degrading the CNES/CSG forest area (i.e. for destruction, theft of timber, hunting of protected species, etc.). The ONF is also responsible for day-to-day maintenance of the path on the Montagne des Singes, which is open to the public and of the facilities installed (footbridges, staircases, observation site, signposts and information panels, etc.).

Again, under the terms of this agreement, CNES/CSG may assign the ONF to undertake specific actions such as the CNES Property Management plan currently being drafted. Through this plan, CNES/CSG is demonstrating that it is possible to have protected fauna and flora living beside the launcher. Ultimately, ONF will be offering a small environment circuit alongside the normal tourist circuit.

The Salvation islands (Iles du Salut) are also concerned. The ONF sent an expert tree-consultant on an inspection tour at the end of 2006: the consultant noted dead trees, protective site measures that had been taken and recommended work to be done in the short term.

The Guiana shoreline track, managed by the Shoreline and Lakeside Conservation organisation (CELRL - Conservatoire de l’Espace Littoral et des Rivages Lacustres), passes by the foot of one of the areas of land belonging to CNES/CSG on the Montabo hill in Cayenne. From Montjoly to Pointe Buzaré, the track is open to the public and some improvements have been made to it along with many panels explaining the fauna and the flora. CNES/CSG, which has been a partner of CELRL since ownership of the Director’s house on the Ile Royale was transferred, sold the CELRL 9.2 hectares of land to ensure that this hiking track would be unbroken. This transfer of property to the CELRL has given it a status, which cannot be abrogated, which means that it will be better protected.

The Paracou Concession, which CNES/CSG made available free of charge to the French Agricultural research Centre for international Development (CIRAD - Centre de Coopération Internationale de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) covers about 5,000 hectares on the western edge of the CSG. The agreement between CNES and CIRAD, first signed in 1976 with the Centre de Techniques Forestières Tropicales, covers the preservation of living collections of perennial plants (coffee trees, cocoa trees, rubber trees, etc.) and research into the dynamics of the natural forest. These arrangements, which are unique in South America, have enabled invaluable research workshops on tropical environment. Data collected during studies on this site go back far enough in time for it to be extremely useful to researchers from all over the world.