The draft charter was unanimously approved!

The elected officials of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, meeting in a joint committee, voted on Wednesday, February 11th, on the draft charter of the Park, which proposes a new territorial project for the period 2026-2041. This vote marks a key step in the process of charter revision, which conditions the renewal of the “Regional Natural Park” label for Périgord-Limousin.

A collective project bringing together 91 municipalities 

The joint association sought to strengthen its ties with local stakeholders by restoring their central role in the revision of the 2026-2041 charter. To this end, a participatory approach was implemented, starting in 2024, with various stages of consultation. consultations with residents, elected officials and partners. The Steering and Decision-Making Council (COD) and the Park's Scientific Council were also involved in the process. This consultation phase continued in 2025, particularly with the local inter-municipal authorities. The opinions expressed and ideas gathered throughout the process informed the drafting of the preliminary charter.

This preliminary draft incorporates 16 additional municipalities, thus bringing the potential total to 91 municipalities spread across 12 inter-municipal communities, and extending the Park's area from 1,928 to 2,263 km². With the inclusion of Ecuras, Combiers, Chassenon, and Pressignac in the study area, the project includes, for the first time, municipalities of CharenteTo maintain or obtain the Regional Natural Park label, All 91 municipalities involved in the project will have to vote on the 2026-2041 charter. and thus commit to respecting its principles. 

Three major ambitions for the territory

The 2026-2041 charter sets an ambitious course in its preliminary draft while remaining realistic in its implementation. The preliminary draft is structured around 3 ambitions, 9 orientations and 32 measures, with "reliance*" as its guiding principle.

The first ambition The project rests on a fundamental priority: to better understand, protect, and restore the natural and cultural heritage of the region. This region, renowned for the quality of its landscapes, natural environments and resources, and its cultural identity, constitutes a shared heritage to be preserved. Through this ambition, the Park affirms its commitment to making the protection of the environment and local identity a foundation upon which to base all other actions of the regional development plan.

The second ambition It focuses on the necessary adaptation of the territory to climate change. With this in mind, the Park places resource efficiency at the heart of its policy for supporting these transitions. Not as an imposed constraint, but as a voluntary, informed, and collective approach, based on a better understanding of natural balances, territorial innovation, and a more equitable and consensual sharing of resources and spaces. The innovative positioning adopted by the joint association for the next fifteen years is to become a demonstration territory for climate change adaptation.

The third ambition The project emphasizes the development of a genuine local culture and collective action to jointly address the major environmental, economic, and societal challenges ahead. At the heart of this ambition lie two fundamental concepts: connection and "working together." The Périgord-Limousin region must mobilize and commit to the full success of the objectives set out in the charter. The joint association's mission is to implement a true engagement strategy, which will involve mobilizing stakeholders and deploying pilot projects orchestrated by the association to (re)connect them to the region. By cultivating this sense of belonging, fostering a shared Périgord-Limousin culture, and sharing its challenges, this third ambition aims to engage the Park's stakeholders in a collective and mobilizing regional project.

Following this vote, the revision process "continues." The draft charter for 2026-2041 will soon be submitted to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council, which will then forward it to the Ministry for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea, and Fisheries. A site visit by representatives from the Federation of Regional Natural Parks and the National Council for Nature Protection is scheduled for autumn 2026. They will then issue their opinion on the draft charter.

_{*reliance: link between and with the Living}

The preliminary draft is available online: draft charter 2026-2041