Protected areas
The "protected spaces" under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture include: the surroundings of historical monuments, sites, remarkable heritage sites (SPR), world heritage. The remarkable heritage sites were created by law no. 2016-925 of 7 July 2016 on the freedom of creation, architecture and heritage. They replace the old protection systems: protected areas, areas for the protection of architectural, urban and landscape heritage (ZPPAUP), areas for the enhancement of architecture and heritage (AVAP). The Ministry of Culture, and its decentralized departments, are also responsible for the management of cultural property inscribed on the World Heritage List for which France is committed to preserving and enhancing the Outstanding Universal Value (VUE). In parallel with the management of protected areas, the Ministry of Culture contributes, through a partnership with local authorities, to the implementation of heritage development policies, landscape preservation and architecture awareness through various labeling tools: labels «City or Country of art and history», «Regional natural parks», «Remarkable garden» and «Remarkable contemporary architecture» (ex "Heritage of the twentieth century").
In the Centre-Val de Loire region, protected areas account for about 6% of the area. They actively contribute to the enhancement of the living environment and the tourist attractiveness of the territory.
The management of protected areas has specific characteristics and challenges in each of the six departments:
- management of urban pressure at the edge of the Paris region (Eure-et-Loir and Loiret);
- management of urban pressure in the vicinity of large conurbations (Tours and Orléans);
- management of urban pressure along the valleys (Loire, Cher, Indre, Essonne, Eure, Loir and Loiret valley);
- management of tourist pressure (tourist facilities, camping...) near major sites (Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher);
- preservation of rural areas with a high landscape sensitivity: valleys, Blancois (Indre), Boischaut méridional (Cher and Indre), Gâtinais (Loiret), Gâtines de l'Indre (Indre), Pays-Fort (Cher and Loiret), Perche (Eure-et-Loir), Sancerrois (Cher);
- preservation of river heritage in relation to flood risk issues.
- preservation of the exceptional universal value of the protected properties under the title of World Heritage: Loire Valley, cathedrals of Bourges and Chartres, church of Neuvy-Saint-Sépulcre.
