Emmanuel Macron will announce measures on Thursday to further protect the Mont-Blanc massif, in particular against the incivilities committed during its ascent, and to preserve biodiversity, the Élysée said on Tuesday.
Read also: In the Alps, the Mer de Glace melted more than 3.6 m last year
The Head of State will make these announcements during a trip on these themes in the Alps, where he will meet specialists in global warming and visit the Mer de Glace, in the Chamonix valley. Thursday, after visiting the famous glacier at the foot of Mont Blanc which has dramatically declined in recent years, he will deliver a speech in Chamonix on his vision of action to preserve biodiversity, mentioning protected areas, urban sprawl or artificialisation of soils, according to the Elysée. This trip to the Alps will be preceded by the holding of the 4th Ecological Defense Council for the quinquennium on Wednesday.
Mont Blanc, which rises to 4,809 m, will be notably more protected by the entry into force of a prefectural decree of natural protection, which will strengthen the rules on attendance, especially during the summer period. Emmanuel Macron was alerted by an open letter sent to him in September by the mayor of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex. “Mr. President, taking care of the forests in the Amazon is very good. Ignoring what is happening on Mont-Blanc and allowing disrespect to continue is not tolerable, ”he wrote. Emmanuel Macron is also expected, by local associations, on air quality problems in the Arve valley, the crossing point for very many heavy goods vehicles.
Read also: Tourist overcrowding and "howling": Mont Blanc saturates