Climate in the South-West: an early and dry spring for the forest which requires vigilance
The rise in temperatures this spring of 2026 has brought forward the flowering of the vegetation by two to three weeks. The rains are much needed, although their abundance this winter has helped to replenish the water tables. Result, slightly dry surface vegetation in the forest and vigilance on the part of all stakeholders, especially since the damage from storm Nils has not been completely dealt with
“A repair that prioritizes repairing the hydraulics so that excess water can drain away. This means clearing fallen or burned trees from roads and under bridges, and restoring the flow of water. Objective: to prevent villages, roads and housing estates from being flooded,” explains Pierre Macé, director of the DFCI Aquitaine. “Repair” also includes the removal of wood swaths and the restoration of forest tracks. Work which, after the summer of 2022, was set to music by the DFCI and financed to the tune of 4.8 million euros by the State.
Tell how to cultivate
In February 2026, another disaster brutalized the region: storm Nils. “We had to quickly make a diagnosis with the Chamber of Agriculture and the Regional Forest Property Center. There were no serious consequences on the massif also because we had finished the post-2022 fire hydraulic works. The departmental DFCIs, with the hunters’ associations and the forestry municipalities, have since re-established the affected tracks,” he adds.
