Forêt d'Exception

Forêt d'Exception® is a French quality label created in 2008 by the Office national des forêts (ONF), the state agency responsible for managing France's public forests. The label distinguishes forests that pursue optimal policies for the management and enhancement of the national public forest heritage. It is not a regulatory protection designation; rather, it is a registered trademark, filed with the Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI) in 2011. The label is awarded to public forests that commit to a demanding, charter-based approach combining local economic development, heritage enhancement, scientific research and biodiversity protection. The programme is governed by a national charter that sets out its values and principles, and is steered by a Comité national d'orientation composed of representatives of the ONF's supervisory ministries (the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Forestry and the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy), ONF representatives and interdisciplinary experts. A forest wishing to engage in the certification process must establish a regional steering committee. The list of selected forests is deliberately representative of the diversity of French natural environments. By 2017, 17 forests had engaged in the approach — 13 labelled and 4 with applications in progress. Labelled forests include Aigoual, Bassin d'Arcachon, Bercé, Boscodon, Darney-la-Vôge and Fontainebleau, among others. The label is promoted through the ONF's website, a national charter, a newsletter, an action compendium and national meetings. The ONF itself is a recognised specialist in sustainable management of forests and natural spaces, offering products and services to local authorities and companies, including timber sales, carbon and ecological compensation, and public reception amenities.

Forêt d'Exception® was created in 2008 by the Office national des forêts (ONF), the French state agency responsible for managing public forests. The label was conceived as a way to distinguish forests that pursue optimal policies for the management and enhancement of the national public forest heritage. It is not a regulatory protection label but a quality approach, and it was registered as a trademark with the Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI) in 2011. The label's values and principles are set out in a national charter. The programme is steered by a Comité national d'orientation, composed of representatives of the ONF's supervisory ministries — the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Forestry and the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy — as well as ONF representatives and interdisciplinary experts. A forest wishing to engage in the certification process must establish a regional steering committee. By 2017, 17 forests had engaged in the approach: 13 were labelled and 4 had applications in progress. The list of selected forests is deliberately representative of the diversity of French natural environments. Labelled forests include Aigoual, Bassin d'Arcachon, Bercé, Boscodon, Darney-la-Vôge and Fontainebleau, among others. The label is promoted through the ONF website, a national charter, a newsletter, an action compendium and national meetings. A national evaluation of the label took place in 2019.

• 2019

  National evaluation of the label carried out.

• 2017

  17 forests engaged in the approach: 13 labelled and 4 applications in progress.

• 2011

  Label registered as a trademark with the Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI).

• 2008

  Forêt d'Exception® label created by the Office national des forêts (ONF).

A national label recognising exemplary sustainable management and enhancement of France's public forests, combining economic development, heritage, science and biodiversity.

• Forêt d'Exception® label

• Charte nationale Forêt d'Exception®

• Recueil d'actions Forêt d'Exception®

• Lettre d'information Forêt d'Exception®

1. 1Forêt d'Exception®onf.fr
2. 2Produits et servicesonf.fr
3. 3Forêt d'Exceptionfr.wikipedia.org
4. 4卓越特色森林wikidata.org