Impact of Future Wind Farm Development on the Avesnois Park Landscape

The Avesnois National Park has undertaken a wind farm development project. The park has decided to develop a plan to identify and classify appropriate wind zones, help the local government make informed decisions on future wind farm projects through supporting documents such as reports and maps, and create a coherent global vision for others to follow.

The installation of wind farms is a landscaping project, the aim of which is to conserve the park’s diversity and unique features. Several methods were developed to analyze the park’s landscape. These methods include georeferencing landscape photographs, analyzing the sensitivity of different species, studying inhabited areas, observing road and path traffic, and identifying constraints involved in the installation of wind farm equipment.

The work will contribute to the implementation of wind farm development zones and will help in the development of wind energy resources in France. The French project title is “Volet paysager du Schéma éolien de l’Avesnois.”

Courtesy of Hélène Durand, Alisé Géomatique; copyright 2007 BD Alti IGN, BD Cartho IGN, PNR de l’Avesnois.