Biodiversity report at Papeteries du Léman

Located in an ecologically sensitive zone that is the extension of the natural reserve of the Delta de la Dranse, the Léman Paper Mills enjoy an exceptional geographic layout.
Following the Biodiversity Audit* that was carried out on the site in 2012, Bolloré Thin Papers committed in 2013 to having a flora and fauna inventory done. The ASTERS, Protection of natural areas in the Haute-Savoie was put in charge of it. After a dozen visits spread out over the year, the ASTERS issued its assessment in October.
According to this report, our green spaces that represent 75% of the total land at PDL (155,283 M²) are made up of eleven different habitats including several that are classified as presenting an interest to the community and other priorities according to Natura 2000.

The inventory of flora made it possible for us to recognize 144 species.

Two varieties are considered vulnerable in the list of rare and endangered plant species in Haute Savoie. The plants are the vicia with fine leaves and the lactuca virosa. Ten types of orchids were discovered representing hundreds of feet, which constitutes, over a single season of observations, a remarkable amount. Several of them, such as the Ophrys apifero f. trolli are rare, and others are not very abundant in the Haute Savoie, others still had not been seen since 1997 in the Natural Reserve.

With regards to the fauna, nearly 80 species have been identified.

In mammals, the most remarkable discovery, which is protected and which represents an advantage to the community, is the European beaver. Another protected species that represents a great advantage is the viperine snake considered “endangered” and appears on the red list of the department. In the Orthoptera, there are two groups that are of interest: the conocephalum conicum and the phaneroptera falcota, which are vulnerable respectively in the alpine zone and in the Haute-Savoie. The procession of butterflies contains several taxons that are typical of dry prairies, and even one species, the small violet, that was unknown to the natural Reserve. Finally, several original species of insects were spotted for the first in the department, such as a miniscule variety of ladybirds measuring 2 mm each.

Remit: Maintenance of green spaces

In order to preserve these remarkable species and to eliminate invading varieties, the Léman Paper Mills are committed to implementing a distinguished management programme for green spaces.
As such, we have agreed to maintain the dry prairies by a delayed annual mowing and the mesophilic prairies by grinding. The trees, sometimes remarkably large, will be conserved as they are for the protection they offer the fauna. We will pay particular attention to the conservation of their sleeves of ivy. A source of nectar and berries, they constitute a winter and summer shelter for the fauna thanks to their evergreen leaves. The security of the site requires its closure with a wire fence, thereby preventing large fauna from passing; an artificial barrier which is nevertheless sufficiently far away from the Dranse river to conserve its role as a longitudinal corridor. Furthermore, PDL agrees to preserve, as far as possible, the connections and the paths for the fauna for each new adjustment to the site.
This management system aims to conserve and improve the state of the habitats. We will have to evaluate it in order to assess the possible undesirable effects (appearance of invasive species, decline in species of interest, etc.) of our actions as quickly as possible and to adjust them if necessary. Follow-up visits by ASTERS are therefore scheduled throughout the year.