news
French forests damaged by wildfires to be restored with lottery money
The initiative is expected to raise around €7.5million for two forests in southern France
Published
Two forest areas in the south of France, in Var and Drôme, are set to benefit from restoration projects following the devastating wildfires this summer.
The funding comes from France’s Mission Nature lottery, with special Loto draws held on October 19 and 21 and a third scheduled for October 24. The initiative is organised by betting operator FDJ United in partnership with the French biodiversity office (OFB).
For every €2.20 lottery ticket played, 54 cents will go towards restoring forests affected by the fires.
The funds will be allocated to restoration projects selected by the OFB and carried out by organisations including the Office national des forêts (ONF).
The initiative is expected to raise around €7.5million for the restoration work.
A similar fundraiser last month already raised more than €2million for the Fontainebleau forest, which was also severely affected by the summer fires.
The funds raised are donated to the Heritage Foundation and allocated entirely to restoration projects carried out by the National Forestry Office, which manages the Fontainebleau state forest. They supplement the emergency fundraising campaign launched by the Heritage Foundation last July.
The two restoration projects
One of the projects will focus on the Gros Bessillon forest area in Var, where a fire that burned for a month destroyed 5,554 hectares across seven communes.
The project will cover 929 hectares of communal forests. The work aims to prevent post-fire risks, including soil erosion.
FDJ United said the funding would support studies and work to help the affected areas recover ecologically, improve fire prevention and facilitate public access to the sites.
The second project concerns the Diois area in Drôme, where a fire started by lightning affected 4,223 hectares in July.
It was “the largest fire in terms of surface area in Drôme and in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region,” OFB said.
“The supported projects will aim to restore the burned forest ecosystems to preserve their functions of protection against natural risks, timber production, preservation of biodiversity and welcoming the public,” FDJ United said.
Since its launch in 2023, the initiative has raised more than €32million and supported nearly 100 ecological restoration projects in mainland France and overseas territories.
