Emergency Tree Removal to Secure Eroding La Lède Beach Near Royan

Overview

• The Conservatoire du littoral, with ONF support, began late‑February emergency works to cut and evacuate about a hundred maritime pines along a 900‑meter by 20‑meter strip at Saint‑Palais‑sur‑Mer.
• Crews are felling trunks at ground level while keeping roots in place to help retain sand and support the natural return of dune vegetation.
• Authorities cite user safety and navigation risks, seeking to prevent unstable trees and driftwood from reaching busy waters near the Gironde estuary and the Marennes‑Oléron oyster parks.
• Recent winter storms Nils and Pedro heavily damaged the dune, with local shoreline retreat reported at roughly 10–15 meters per year and a nearby bike path losing 12 meters this winter.
• Officials and residents describe the loss as painful, with managers stressing the operation mitigates consequences rather than stopping erosion, and the removed wood set aside by contractor Prieur for energy use.