COBISS: 1.01 THE CONCEPTS OF HERITAGE AND HERITAGE RESOURCE APPLIED TO KARSTS: PROTECTING THE CHORANCHE CAVES (VERCORS, FRANCE) ZAMISLI O DEDIŠcINI IN NJENIH VIRIH PRIREJENIH ZA KRAS: VAROVANJE JAM CHORANCHE (VERCORS, FRANCIJA) Christophe GAUCHON1, Estelle PLOYON1, Jean-Jacques DELANNOY1, Sébastien HACqUARD1, Fabien HOBLéA1, Stéphane JAILLET1, Yves PERRETTE1 Abstract UDC 551.442(44) Christophe Gauchon, Estelle Ployon, Jean-Jacques Delan-noy, Sébastien Hacquard, Fabien Hobléa, Stéphane Jaillet & Yves Perrette: Te concepts of heritage and heritage resource applied to karsts: Protecting the Choranche caves (Vercors, France) In 2005, French Ministry of Ecology started procedure to in-scribe 18 Caves of Chorance into the world Heritage list of UNESCO. Te application has to answer to three objectives: the scientifc interest, defnition of the territory, and to propose the management model. For the frst all the heritage sources has to be identifed, such as fowstone formations, karst water objects and historical curiosities. Tis are very important and sensitive questions specially because they have been not answered before the procedure of the inscription started of. key-words: karst heritage, karst protection, show cave, classi-fed natural site, caves of Choranche, Vercors, France. Izvlecek UDK 551.442(44) Christophe Gauchon, Estelle Ployon, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Sébastien Hacquard, Fabien Hobléa, Stéphane Jaillet & Yves Perrette: Zamisli o dedišcini in njenih virih prirejenih za kras: varovanje jam Choranche (Vercors, Francija) 2005 je francosko Ministrstvo za okolje pricelo postopek za vpis 18 jam okoli Choranche za vpis v svetovno dedišcino pri UNESCO. Vloga mora odgovoriti trem merilom: znanstvenemu pomenu, opredelitvi ozemlja in predlagati nacin upravljanja. Predvsem je bilo treba ugotoviti vse vire dedišcine, kot so kapniki, kraški vodni objekti in zgodovinske zanimivosti. To je zelo pomembno in obcutljivo vprašanje, še posebej, ker to ni bilo opravljeno, preden je bil sprožen postopek za vpis. kljucne besede: kraška dedišcina, varstvo krasa, turisticna jama, zašcitena naravna vrednota, jame Choranche, Vercors, Francija. INTRODUCTION Although France has ofen played a pioneering role in the exploration and study of caves, the country has done very little to protect the heritage resources of its karst areas. At present, there is no specifc legislation covering the protection of karst landscapes - caves and swallow holes can only be protected under general environmental protection laws. Some karsts have been listed as historic monu-ments, others are protected for their biotopes, four caves have been declared nature reserves and a few hundred others have been classifed as “natural sites and monu- ments”. Te law relating to this fnal category dates back to 1930 and applies to lakes, waterfalls, peat bogs and coastal dunes, as well as to caverns. Te central tenet of this legislation is expressed in Article 12, which stipulates that the “owner of a classifed site cannot destroy or mod-ify the state or appearance of that site” without special authorisation. Tus, protection measures are applied on a case-by-case basis, as opportunities arise, and the choice of sites is strongly infuenced by the specifc interests of the civil servants responsible for the environment. 1Laboratoire EDYTEM-University of Savoie, Chambéry, France. e-mail: christophe.gauchon@univ-savoie.fr Received / Prejeto: 04.10.2006 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2, 37–46, LJUBLJANA 2006 CHRISTOPHE GAUCHON, ESTELLE PLOYON, JEAN-JACqUES DELANNOY, SéBASTIEN HACqUARD, ... No better illustration of the conservation situation for Frances karst heritage can be found than the Cho-ranche Caves network, in the Vercors Mountains. Tese caves have been explored for over a century and are the most important underground tourist attraction in the French Alps. Tey feature in every tourist guide and have been the subject of several television programmes; hence, they are quite well known. Dozens of postcards show the forests of soda-straws hanging from the cave roof refect-ed in the green waters of Lake Coufn. Despite these attri- butes, the site is not covered by any protection measures: only the careful stewardship of the site s owner-managers has maintained the caves in their current condition. A catalogue of the areas main heritage resources has been drawn up as part of the process of granting the area list-ed-status and introducing ofcial protection measures. However, the numerous objections to the protection pro-posals show how difcult it can be to protect any area, even a site of universally accepted importance, such as Choranche. CONTEXT In August 2005, the Rhône-Alpes “Direction Régionale de l’Environnement”, acting on behalf of the Minister of Ecology, launched a call for tenders for the production of an environmental protection dossier for the “Choranche Caves, surface and subsoil”. At the end of the tendering procedure, the bid entered by the EDYTEM laboratory was chosen. Unusually, the proposal to protect the Choranche Caves was not a response to a clear and immediate threat to the area or the karst system. In this case, the protection process was started as a preliminary step in achiev-ing UNESCO world Heritage status for Choranche and seventeen other French stalactite and stalagmite caves: UNESCO will only accept nominations for sites already protected by the State sponsoring the nomination and this is not the case for some of the caves concerned, in-cluding the Choranche Caves. Te 18 caves nominated for UNESCO listing were chosen solely on the basis of the formations they contain, either for their variety (colours, shapes, mineralogy), fra-gility, rarity or aesthetic quality. Although concretions are relatively abundant throughout the Choranche network, the UNESCO nomination specifcally cites the tourist part of the Coufn Cave because of its rich ornamenta-tion. However, it immediately became apparent that in order to efectively protect the site, the protection measures would have to cover a much more extensive area than this one cave. Te Choranche Caves consist of a net-work of more than 40 km of explored passages, divided into two main and parallel networks (Coufn-Chevaline and Gournier) and containing three underground rivers. Te Coufn Cave has been open to tourists since 1967. It remains a popular attraction, although visitor num-bers peaked, at more than 200,000 visitors per year, at the beginning of the 1990s. In addition, groups led by State-qualifed cave guides frequently visit the Gournier Cave. Te network is well understood due to more than 40 years of intense scientifc study. On the surface, the Coulmes Plateau also contains a wide range of features that, in our opinion, should be included in the protection dossier. Te environment in which these networks have de-veloped cannot be ignored. Te Coulmes Plateau, on the north-western edge of the Vercors, is a true backwater: away from the main through-routes, extremely isolated and with apparently limited potential. Te project to give the site listed status is not designed to protect the area from any particular threat; however, it has raised fears amongst some local politicians that it will one day be used to stop future development projects. In fact, the plateau is seen as a neglected area whose development (for example, connection to mains services) is lagging behind that of the villages in the Gorges de la Bourne. Te ques-tion that arises is whether listing the site will increase the divisions between the gorges and the plateau or enhance their complementarity. Tis is why any protection measures must take into account social and local geo-politi-cal considerations, as well as environmental and heritage aspects. OBJECTIVES Given the above context, the specifcation laid down by the “Direction Régionale de l’Environnement” stipulated that EDYTEMs work should be divided into a number 38 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 - 2006 of phases, to ensure the listing procedure is completed as quickly as possible. THE CONCEPTS OF HERITAGE AND HERITAGE RESOURCE APPLIED TO KARSTS: PROTECTING THE CHORANCHE CAVES ... First, it was necessary to establish that the site was of “general interest from an artistic, historic, scientifc, leg-endary or picturesque point of view” (art. 4 of the Act of 1930). As the contract covered both the surface and the subsoil, this assessment work had to be applied to the un-derground karst networks as well as to the external land-scapes. Te artistic and legendary aspects were quickly eliminated, as they are of little importance in this case. Tat lef the historic, scientifc and picturesque dimen-sions, for which there is a wealth of documentation es-tablishing the heritage value of the Choranche Caves and the Coulmes Plateau. Te heritage resources within each of these categories are examined in more detail below. Next, it was necessary to establish an appropri-ate, coherent and acceptable protection perimeter. Tis turned out to be a very sensitive issue. In France, the protection given to karst areas rarely covers entire karst networks unless the system in question contains caves with exceptionally important archaeological remains or cave paintings. Tere are no accepted standards in cases where karsts are protected for their aesthetic value and to preserve the landscape. Protection measures are gen-erally determined by the beauty of the site and only the land containing the cave is protected, which is a highly unsatisfactory state of afairs. In order to ascertain how the terms of the 1930 Act can be used to give efective protection to karsts, it is necessary to understand what a karst is and how its diferent elements interact. Should the entire cave be protected, or only the part seen by tourists? For the Coufn, Chevaline and Gournier springs, should protection be limited to the hydrogeological watershed or should the listed area cover the entire karst, with its numerous caverns, its landscapes and all its heritage re- fig 1: visitors in a galery in Coufn cave, postcard, beginning of XXth century. sources? Tese questions were to become central to the ensuing public debates. Te “Direction Régionale de l’Environnement” also recommended writing management guidelines for the listed area, taking into account all the activities carried out in the massif. In fact, the 1930 Act does not specify which types of development should be allowed or pro-hibited in a listed area. Terefore, listing the site must be allied with a series of recommendations, based on the specifcities of the listed area, that will provide the local authorities with criteria on which to base decisions on whether to authorise future development projects. Te protection measures must take into account the farm-ing, forestry, permanent dwellings and numerous sports activities (cross-country skiing, hiking, caving, climbing, hunting, etc) that currently coexist in the Coulmes Plateau area, as the aim is not to stop these activities but to ensure they can continue without damaging the environ-ment. Hence, it is necessary to defne the rules that will govern each activity, the types of development compat-ible with preserving the area and those that are totally unacceptable. Tis work requires detailed consultations with all the parties involved. Finally, once this work was completed, the EDY-TEM team were required to draw up documents present-ing the area to be protected and its heritage resources (poster + small pamphlet) for the general public. A cer-tain amount of expertise was needed for determining the karst resources and landscapes to be protected. However, it was also necessary to take into account the afects of the protection measures on the numerous interests im-pacted by the project. ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006 39 CHRISTOPHE GAUCHON, ESTELLE PLOYON, JEAN-JACqUES DELANNOY, SéBASTIEN HACqUARD, ... wORKING METHODS Te EDYTEM team brought together experts with the diferent but complementary skills that would be needed to successfully complete the various phases of the project. work began by carrying out a survey of the extensive literature on the massif and its karst network produced by cavers, archaeologists, palaeontologists, ethnologists specialising in local history and, of course, karst geogra-phers. In addition, cavers from the “département” of Isère (Comité Départemental de Spéléologie), with whom EDYTEM has long had a good working relationship, pro-vided cave inventories and topographical surveys. Tis data formed the basis for a comprehensive atlas of the network that includes information on the plateaus heritage resources, current protection measures (Natura 2000 zones, special bird protection areas, etc) and exist-ing economic activities, etc. Te mapping work was com-pleted by a photographic survey of the area (including work by professional photographers) showing the under- ground and surface landscapes. Tese documents were drawn up for use during the steering committees meet-ings with the various interested parties, in order to show how work was progressing, as well as for inclusion in the classifcation dossier. Compiling the protection dossier and management guidelines required detailed consultations with local interests and numerous information and fact-fnding meetings with all the interested parties. Strenuous eforts were made to take into account all forms of land-use and to avoid needlessly upsetting people, so as not to create unnecessary difculties. Te most delicate part of this consultation phase was presenting the boundaries of the proposed protection area, as every interested party found reason to object, based on their own interests and their own perception of the area. Hence, the scientifc work had to take into account the local interests that were un-covered as the project progressed. STAKES Te most important sector to be afected by the project to list the Choranche Caves and the Coulmes Pla-teau will undoubtedly be tourism. Te operator of the Choranche Caves has always supported the protection project because the prospect of being awarded UNESCO world Heritage status is seen as a marvellous opportunity to give a much-needed boost to the site. Te Choranche Caves are the biggest pay-to-enter tour-ist attraction in the Vercors Mountains and the only one to be open all year round; the areas other tourist sites are all highly seasonal with summer and winter peaks. Visitors are also attracted to the area around the caves by outdoor sports, such as rock climbing on the clifs at Presles (which have been popular with climbers since the 1970s), cross-country skiing and hiking. As a result, there are several accommodation providers on the pla-teau and in the village of Choranche. when asked, local people are unanimously in favour of these outdoor activities, as they are seen as a source of jobs, but this does not prevent conficts between visitors and locals over issues such as parking and access to the climbs. Te plateaus local councillors sometimes seem more con-cerned by any nuisance caused to farmers than by the economic benefts gained by the areas accommodation providers. Te public debates have shown greater disa-greement than expected over the tourism issue, with not everyone in the area considering it a priority. 40 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 - 2006 It has become apparent that local attitudes to the protection project are shaped by individual opinions on tourism. In addition, the introduction of protection measures as a step towards obtaining UNESCO world Heritage status is seen as a double-edged sword. If the French govern-ments UNESCO project succeeds, almost everyone agrees the benefts will be positive. However, opponents argue that if the UNESCO project fails, listing the site will hinder any form of development on the plateau. Tis standpoint results from a deep misunderstanding of the need to pro-tect this karst environment and the blind opposition of the plateau s politicians and the valley s inhabitants. Te biggest fear, which has been expressed very clearly, is that nearly all the projects benefts will go to Choranche, as tourist fows will be channelled through the gorge to the caves. Consequently, the villages on the plateau will be subject to restrictions that will constrain their development, with-out receiving any of the benefts. Tese territorial difer-ences in opinion are exacerbated by diferences in peoples’ mentalities. Te people of Choranche have long appreci-ated the benefts brought by tourism, starting with a spa that thrived from the 19th century until the 1930s. On the other hand, the plateaus inhabitants feel as though they have only ever received the crumbs lef afer Choranche has eaten most of the tourist cake. Presles’ elected repre-sentatives have particular difculty in understanding that it is up to them to fnd ways in which to reap benefts from THE CONCEPTS OF HERITAGE AND HERITAGE RESOURCE APPLIED TO KARSTS: PROTECTING THE CHORANCHE CAVES ... fig. 2: Choranche cirque and the location of main caves, drawn by Oscar décombaz, 1898. being listed a world Heritage site; it is their responsibility to ensure Choranche does not take all the pickings. Tere is also a confict between the plateau and the gorge over the issue of water, another element that is central to this project. Although everyone agrees on the importance of water, there are deep disagreements about how this resource should be used. Terefore, water s place in the system must be defned: as well as being a resource for the local population, it is an essential part of the areas heritage that must be preserved. For example, during the 1990s, Presles council proposed drilling through the plateau to tap into the Gournier underground river in or-der to resolve its chronic water shortage problems. Te project was only abandoned, albeit provisionally, when local cavers proved it technically unfeasible. Tis was a bitter disappointment for the plateaus politicians, who are reluctant to defnitively discard the idea. However, diverting these waters could not be authorised under any protection scheme, as the Gournier feeds the famous tufa falls that form such an important part of the sites land-scape. If a water extraction scheme were to be permitted, the largest reductions in water fows would be in sum-mer and it is in summer, when air temperatures are rela-tively high, that the Gournier s waters deposit the greatest fig. 3: Sketch of the Coulmes Plateau by Oscar décombaz, 1899, with location of caves and pot-holes (scialets). amount of tufa. Tere is an enormous gulf between those who perceive water as a resource to protect and those who regard it as a resource to exploit. Although posi-tions on this issue are rarely explicitly stated, they have played a central role in the debates over the protection project. Paradoxically the waterfalls themselves cannot be protected under the terms of the 1930 Act, as the Act cannot protect water, only the landscape surrounding it. Hence the importance of the management guidelines, which will include precise recommendations on how the water is to be protected. A traditional “water culture”, as is found in Mediterranean karst areas, has not developed in the Vercors Mountains. Tis may be due to the area having a particularly humid climate (Ppn > 2000mm) in which, historically, there has been little need to conserve what is seen as an abundant resource. As a result, when faced with increases in demand, both for agricultural and for domestic use, the only solution local politicians were able to envisage was to fnd other sources to increase the supply to users. CHORANCHE’S KARST RESOURCES A comprehensive inventory in the form of themed data CAVE FORMATIONS sheets, of all the karst resources to be found in the Cho- Te original motivation behind the UNESCO world ranche area was drawn up for inclusion in the protec- Heritage project was a desire to protect and promote the tion dossier. without reproducing the full inventory we areas cave formations, including the spectacular Coufn would like to give an idea of the diversity and richness of soda straws that have made Choranche famous. Given the heritage resources of the Choranche Caves and the their aesthetic qualities and the role they play in attract-Coulmes Plateau. ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 - 2006 41 CHRISTOPHE GAUCHON, ESTELLE PLOYON, JEAN-JACqUES DELANNOY, SéBASTIEN HACqUARD, ... ing tourists to the Choranche Caves, agreement on the need to preserve these exceptional formations was im-mediate and unanimous. Even if visitors to the caves only take away one memory, it is of the thousands of strands of “spaghetti” refected in the waters of the lake and river at Coufn. For many years, the tourist route through the cave has been screened by windows in order to protect the formations from direct damage. However, a wider pres-ervation area will have to be defned if these formations are to be given more global protection. Tis has proven to be a very delicate issue. Although the UNESCO pres-entation dossier only specifcally covers the cave formations, these formations cannot be preserved unless the environment in which they formed is protected. But, how extensive should this protected area be? Should it only cover the land immediately above the caverns? Or should it include the area that feeds water to the formations, in so far as it can be defned, bearing in mind that the strati-fcation of the rock will doubtlessly create areas of lateral transfer? Or should it extend to the entire hydrogeologi-cal system? Scientists must provide precise answers to these questions - answers on which to base clear and co-herent arguments that will convince sceptics. Given the need to protect a large area of the karst in order to protect the cave formations, it is unfortunate that the UNESCO proposal only explicitly mentions the “formation-bearing caves”. Tis has proved to be a major obstacle to the protection process, as it enables opponents to argue that only the soda straws themselves should be listed. However, because of the way in which karst systems work, a much more extensive area must be protected if the formations are to be properly preserved. Hence, the idea of listing the “formation-bearing caves” may actually work against the protection of the karst system: something that the promoters of the project undoubtedly never imagined. THE KARST SYSTEMS Te karst systems themselves are utterly remarkable. In fact, there are three perched systems, with no saturated zones, cut by the incision of the Gorges de la Bourne. Other similar systems can be found in the French Pre-Alps, but the three aligned springs at the foot of the Coul-mes escarpment are particularly spectacular. Cavers have followed and mapped the underground rivers over dis-tances of several kilometres, following the River Gourni-er, for example, for almost six kilometres under the pla-teau to its terminus 680 metres above the spring. Tese systems are made up of highly complex networks of tun-nels and chambers of all shapes and sizes. For instance, the Gournier Cave boasts a subterranean river that fows beneath a vast fossil gallery, the galleries of the Coufn Cave form a true labyrinth and the River Chevaline fows over a succession of large gours before emerging at a spring that is uniquely gravity-fed. Although most of the parties concerned by the protection project are aware of these underground landscapes, they have little idea of their diversity One of the objectives of the photographic survey of the area is to raise awareness of this difcult-to-visualise dimension. PALAEONTOLOGICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL REMAINS Palaeontological, archaeological and historical remains: Large quantities of fossils, particularly the remains of bears, have been found in some of the caves on the pla-teau (especially the Pré l’Etang cave) and in the upper fossil levels of the Coufn Cave. Te Pré l’Etang deposit has been intensively studied; however, the Bear Gallery in the Coufn Cave, which is at the end of the known network and very difcult to reach, has never been visited by pal-aeontologists. Despite being discovered by some of the caves earliest explorers, the species of bears to be found there have never been described. In addition, explora-tions of some of the cavities in the rocks of the Choranche Cirque have revealed prehistoric remains, but undoubtedly not enough for the Cultural Afairs Department to classify these rock shelters as “historic monuments”. As well as these prehistoric remains, there are archaeological relics from the more recent past, such as those lef by the plateaus charcoal burners, including settlements that have been abandoned since the beginning of the 20th cen-tury In the caves themselves, and especially in the Balme Etrange, signatures dating back to the 1830s can be found on the walls: proof of the long history of tourism in the Choranche Cirque and confrmation of some of the in-formation found during the literature survey Terefore, the historic interest of the site cannot be denied. EXO-KARSTIC STRUCTURES AND FORMATIONS Exo-karstic structures and formations are extremely abundant, providing a link between the scientifc and pic-turesque interests of the site. Te Choranche Cirque con-tains the most spectacular formations, most notably the large tufa fows that dot the Gournier stream. About ten years ago, the visitor trail was extended to include these tufa fows and signposts were erected to explain how they formed and their palaeoenvironmental signifcance. On the plateau, such formations are usually less eas-ily visible because of the dense forest cover, but they are just as interesting. Te Pot Siva area contains a group of roofess caves that can be explored and that contain the remains of speleothems. Despite being particularly well developed, the cone karst, which provides evidence of the phases of karst formation during the Tertiary, cannot eas-ily be seen due to the lack of a viewpoint overlooking the 42 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006 THE CONCEPTS OF HERITAGE AND HERITAGE RESOURCE APPLIED TO KARSTS: PROTECTING THE CHORANCHE CAVES ... whole area. In fact, this is the only part of the Vercors to contain such a diversity of karst structures, and this alone should provide sufcient justifcation for listing the area. THE LANDSCAPE RESOURCE Te landscape resource: In addition to the elements men-tioned above, the landscape as a whole exudes a special atmosphere that adds to the areas beauty. Tis atmos-phere mostly comes from the stark contrasts that char-acterise the area: the juxtaposition of gorge and plateau, barren clifs and luxuriant undergrowth, narrow defles and open plateaux, dark caverns and luminous cirques, and the abrupt transitions between the vertical and the horizontal. Te spectacular view of the Cirque de Cho-ranche from the caves car park always makes a vivid impression on visitors; however, it is important to make them realise that they will only get a complete picture of the areas natural wealth if they continue their excur- Current French law and Department of the Environment guidelines contain fve criteria for assessing whether pro-tecting a site is in the general interest. Te Choranche Caves and Coulmes Plateau satisfy three of these fve criteria; therefore, the task of producing a protection dossier should have been very straightforward. In fact, a number of obstacles quickly appeared, including the refusal by some local people to accept the recommendations of the experts who are compiling the dossier. Surmounting these problems will probably be extremely difcult as they are based on fears that listing the area will seriously hamper development without providing signifcant benefts. Although the 1930 Act defnes the introduction of protection measures as a purely administrative procedure, in practice it requires a participative approach in-volving the local population: a reality that does not al-ways make life easy In addition, the public debate on the protection project provided a forum for expressing old frustrations that were not necessarily connected with the protection project. Reactions may have been particularly sion onto the plateau. By doing this, they will also be able to appreciate the variety of the areas vegetation, which changes from the beech-pine forest so typical of the cool and humid Northern Pre-Alps to a sub-Mediterranean boxwood-juniper assemblage. Tese changes are gov-erned by altitude, as the plateau gradually descends from a height of 1450 metres in the north to 850 metres in the south, before plunging past the Coufn cave entrance (at 590 m) to the bottom of the gorge and the village of Choranche at 270 metres. More than half a century ago, the caver André Bourgin suggested that the “Coulmes area of the Vercors showed the characteristics of the whole mas-sif in miniature” (1950, p. 16). Tis concentration of karst landscapes in an area of only 40 km2 is another of the riches of the Coulmes Plateau and further justifcation for protecting the site - especially in a country that has not, as yet, given ofcial protection to any of its mid-alti-tude forest karsts. vehement due to people feeling that local infrastructure needs had, for many years, been neglected. Many local people could not understand why listing the site was suddenly so important, as there was no immediate threat to the area. Tey felt that their ability to manage their own area was being called into question. Listing the site quickly became a local political issue that could only be understood in local terms and opposition to the project has been increased by the solidarity between local com-munities. For example, to avoid angering its neighbours, Choranche, which has everything to gain from the project, has rallied to the cause of Presles, which is hostile to anything other than a very limited protected area. Terefore, the project has lost the support it expected to receive from Choranche. Local politicians and compet-ing institutions (Regional Nature Park, Association of local councils, etc) are also trying to make political capi-tal from the protection project. And no one knows if the hostility of the areas regional councillor is related to him being a quarry owner! DIFFICULTIES ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006 43 CHRISTOPHE GAUCHON, ESTELLE PLOYON, JEAN-JACqUES DELANNOY, SéBASTIEN HACqUARD, ... CONCLUSION At the current time, the Choranche Caves protection dossier is still being fnalised and the full listing process is far from being fnished. Te dossier will be presented for examination by the “Départementale” Commission and the “Commission Supérieure des Sites”, and then it will probably go to ministerial arbitration before the listing can be approved by the Conseil d’Etat, Frances high-est administrative body. To be successful, the protection project will require strong and sustained political sup-port. Te importance of this political dimension came as a surprise to both the laboratorys team of scientists and to the Department of the Environment, which had not expected such strong opposition. Nevertheless, the process has been extremely use-ful - it has shown the strength of public opinion and the awareness of the local population and their elected representatives of the need to consider the karst area in which they live as a precious resource that must be care-fully managed. Even though these communities have been part of a Regional Nature Park for 35 years, despite the fact that there has been more than a century of ex-ploration and tourism in the caves, although the tourist image of the Vercors is based on a preserved mountain environment and despite 20 years’ scientifc work to ex-plain karst processes in laymans terms, local politicians and a large section of the population are still unable to accept the need to give the karst active protection. Most local people now understand that the individual parts of the karst are merely components in a coherent and fragile whole. However, as soon as an attempt is made to explain what this means in terms of managing the karst, this “whole karst” concept is quickly forgotten if it is contrary to individual vested interests. France undoubtedly needs to develop a much more active karst protection policy. Forming a National Coun-cil for Underground Heritage, as is being considered by the Minister of Ecology, would raise awareness of this need and listing the Choranche Caves would be seen as a major step forward in the management of karst heritage resources. REFERENCES Bourgin, André, 1950: Rivières de la nuit- Arthaud, 26 p. + 52 plates. Corbel, Jean, 1956: Le karst du Vercors.- Revue de Géog- raphie de Lyon, n° 3, p. 221-241. Décombaz, Oscar, 1898: Les grottes de la vallée de la Bourne et du Vercors.- Spelunca, Mémoires de la Société de Spéléologie, t. III, n° 13, 54 p. Décombaz, Oscar, 1899: Explorations souterraines dans le Royans et le Vercors.- Spelunca, Mémoires de la Société de Spéléologie, n° 22, 52 p. Delannoy, Jean-Jacques, 1981: Le Vercors septentrional : le karst de surface et le karst souterrain.- Doctoral thesis, Grenoble, 537 p. Delannoy, Jean-Jacques, 1997: Recherches géomor- phologiques sur les massifs karstiques du Vercors et de la Transversale de Ronda (Andalousie).- Tèse d’Etat, 678 p. Gauchon, Christophe, 1994: Termalisme et Tourisme en moyenne montagne. Deux stations des Préalpes : Choranche et La Bauche.- Villes deaux, histoire du thermalisme, Actes du 117ème Congrès National des Sociétés Savantes, éd. C.T.H.S., p. 381-393. Lismonde, Baudouin & Frachet, Jean-Michel, 1979:, Grottes et scialets du Vercors.- Inventaire spé-léologique, tome 2 : Vercors Nord, éd. Comité départemental de spéléologie de l’Isère, 345 p. Nicolas, J.-F., 1786: Mémoire sur les maladies épidémiques qui ont régné dans la province de Dauphiné depuis l’année 1780.- Imprimerie royale, Grenoble, 225 p. Peigne, Bernard & Charmont, François, 1962: Essai de statistiques spéléologiques : plateau de Presles, mas-sif des Coulmes. 44 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006 THE CONCEPTS OF HERITAGE AND HERITAGE RESOURCE APPLIED TO KARSTS: PROTECTING THE CHORANCHE CAVES ... Sotirce des donnšes : J.-J. DeiannQy, 199? KARSTIC GEOMORPHOLOGY KARST HYDROGEOLOGY Explored -------- underground networks KARSTIC SPRINGS 0 Bury-Pré Martin O Choranche 0 Fauries-Jallifier O East side of Plateau Q Presles-Pylône O Ruzand PROPOSALS FOR A PROTECTED AREA ^""^ Speleological networks and hydrogeologic basin of Choranche Caves o+< Coulmes Plateau, Presles Polje and Choranche caves O Unroofed caves ® Caves cut by topography Karst cones *&> Dolines \—i Paleo-polje of Presles aaaaa Main cliffs ^uui Minor cliffs ------- Faults * Tilt Geomorphology and hydrogeology of Coulmes Plateau fig. 4: Geomorphological map of the Coulmes Plateau, with the proposition for the delimitation of protected area. Study area Communal boundaries ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006 45 CHRISTOPHE GAUCHON, ESTELLE PLOYON, JEAN-JACqUES DELANNOY, SéBASTIEN HACqUARD, ... LES NOTIONS DE PATRIMOINE ET DE RESSOURCE PATRIMONIALE APPLIqUéES AU KARST : LE CLASSEMENT DU SITE DE CHORANCHE (VERCORS, FRANCE) RéSUMé En août 2005, le ministère français de l’Ecologie a lancé la procédure de classement des grottes de Choranche et du massif des Coulmes (Nord Vercors, Préalpes). Dans le cadre de la préparation d’un dossier « Patrimoine mondi-al » de l’Unesco portant sur 18 cavités concrétionnées, il convient en efet que les biens proposés à l’inscription soient bel et bien protégés par l’Etat porteur du dossier. Or, jusqu’à présent, le réseau karstique des grottes de Choranche ne bénéfcie d’aucune protection réglementaire. Il fait l’objet d’une exploitation touristique organisée depuis 1967 et qui sest avérée plutôt respectueuse de la caverne ; si aucune menace directe ne pèse sur cet ensemble kars-tique, une commune du plateau a longtemps envisagé de capter la rivière souterraine de Gournier, ce qui aurait de graves conséquences sur la formation des tufs à l’aval de l’émergence. Le dossier de classement doit répondre à trois ob-jectifs : 1°, établir l’intérêt scientifque, pittoresque, his-torique, artistique ou légendaire du site, car ce sont là les cinq critères prévus par la loi de 1930 qui régit la protection des sites naturels. Dans le cas des grottes de Choranche, les intérêts artistique et légendaire n’étant pas concernés, cest sur les trois autres registres que porte le travail. 2°, défnir le périmètre de classement, ce qui est une tâche fort délicate car une partie du plateau est peuplée d’agriculteurs qui craignent pour leur activité. 3°, proposer un cahier de gestion de l’espace classé, en prenant en compte toutes les activités présentes, autant économiques que de loisirs. Il a donc fallu identifer les nombreuses ressources patrimoniales qui pouvaient justifer la mesure de protection. Au premier rang viennent les concrétions, et surtout les célèbres fstuleuses de Coufn, qui valent au site de Choranche de fgurer dans le dossier Unesco. Tous les acteurs s’accordent sur la valeur de ces concrétions, mais les confits apparaissent dès que sont évoquées les mesures de protection à prendre : car il ne suft pas de classer la parcelle sous laquelle se trouvent les fstuleuses, mais bien la totalité de la zone d’alimentation des concré-tions. Deuxième ressource, l’eau : le nord-ouest du Vercors constitue un karst forestier de moyenne montagne, abondamment arrosé, mais les communes du plateau dis-posent de fort peu de ressources en eau, d’où de grandes convoitises qui pèsent sur cette ressource. Mais l’étude scientifque a fait émerger aussi d’autres ressources patrimoniales. Sur le plan scientifque, cest le karst des Coulmes dans son ensemble qui mérite d’être protégé : trois grandes rivières souterraines coulent en efet sous le plateau des Coulmes et forment un ensemble d’émergences pénétrables, perchées 400 mètres au-dessus du fond de la vallée de la Bourne. Les réseaux spéléologiques explorés (> 40 km) présentent toute la panoplie des formes endokarstiques, alors quen sur-face, cest un spectaculaire karst à buttes qui est con-servé, avec de nombreuses paléo-cavités trépanées. Les cascades de Gournier présentent aussi un complexe de tuf, avec plusieurs dizaines de tonnes produites chaque année. Cette diversité des formes se traduit sur le plan pittoresque car le paysage formé par le cirque de Choranche, dominé par de hautes falaises de calcaires ocres, est grandiose. Ces paysages sont marqués par toute une série de violents contrastes entre le dedans et le dehors, le vertical et l’horizontal, le minéral et le végétal… Enfn, l’intérêt historique, plus discret, nen est pas moins réel, avec à la fois des gisements archéologiques sous le porche de Coufn, des gisements paléontologiques importants dans plusieurs cavités (Coufn, Pré l’Etang) et les traces d’anciennes visites touristiques, surtout dans la grotte de Balme étrange (années 1830). L’intérêt patrimonial du site est donc multiple et aisé à démontrer. Tout se complique lorsqu’il s’agit de con-vaincre les acteurs du bien fondé des mesures de protection à prendre. En efet, si les professionnels du tourisme soutiennent ce projet de classement, il nen va pas de même des agriculteurs, des chasseurs et d’une partie des propriétaires qui napprouvent pas cette mesure. On voit par là que la gestion patrimoniale des ressources du karst reste un problème délicat, surtout si un vrai travail péda-gogique na pas précédé le lancement de ces procédures. 46 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 35/2 – 2006