The Ponthus beech did not survive Storm Ciaran. Located near the Barenton fountain, the emblematic tree of the Brocéliande forest split under the power of gusts of wind. He is not the only one. In Brittany, tens of thousands of trees suffered the same fate as the majestic beech of Morbihan, bending under the force of gusts sometimes exceeding 200 km/h. Throughout the region, one can observe uprooted oaks, fallen chestnut trees or severed maritime pines. “You have to be careful not to overdramatize. As for the forest, it is not a disaster of regional scale,” says Laurent Lemercier. Since the passage of storm Ciaran, this forestry expert has defied access bans to woods and forests to see the extent of the damage. “It has nothing to do with the storm of 1987. But when we see the force of the winds, I tell myself that we still came close to disaster.”
Some people do not hesitate to use the term “disaster” when it comes to addressing the damage suffered in the most affected areas in Finistère. “We have colleagues who have been working for years on plots of land which were ravaged in just a few minutes. It’s hard to take,” says Benoît Chevallier, project manager at the National Forestry Office (ONF). In the opinion of all experts, the situation is “very uneven” in the region. In the Argol massifs, in Huelgoat or in the Monts d’Arrée, it will undoubtedly take several years to repair the damage caused by bad weather. While some sectors have been devastated, others have held up rather well. An observation that allows woodworking professionals to approach the future more calmly. “We think that there will be no repercussions on the market, even if we will have to be wary of opportunists,” warns Laurent Lemercier.
The “opportunists” that the forestry expert speaks of will undoubtedly survey the most affected areas to try to “hit” them, offering to buy the wood at a low price to quickly “clean up” the most affected forests. On a national level, Brittany is a small market with only 400,000 hectares of forest, or 14% of its surface area. This is half the French average, but the region is tending to catch up by showcasing its neglected wastelands. “You have to take the time to make a good diagnosis. Many paths are impassable today so there is no urgency to remove the wood from the massifs,” warns Marie Dubois, regional director of the ONF, before adding. “It is sometimes interesting to leave dead wood on plots to promote biodiversity.” The noblest species will be sent to sawmills to be transformed into lumber. The most damaged ones will be used for firewood or transformed into forest chips.
On a national level, Brittany is a small market with only 400,000 hectares of forest, or 14% of its surface area. This is twice less than the French average, even if the region tends to catch up by revegetating its abandoned wastelands. 80% owned by private owners, the Breton forest is today the subject of a development plan called Breizh Forêt Bois. Initiated by the Brittany and Fibois region, it enabled the planting of more than two million trees from 2015 to 2022. A new objective of 5 million trees planted by 2025 was announced.