Débroussaillement – and test your French!

02/05/2023 2 Comments
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Débroussaillement (for property owners)

DébroussaillementAccording to the ‘code forestier’ and ‘arrêté prefectoral’ of 18/13/2004, if you are the owner of land which is less than 200 metres from woodland, brush land or moors, it is your legal responsibility to limit fire risk by clearing and cutting back all undergrowth within 50 metres of your property.

This should really be completed, or at least started, by the end of April, after which the ONF (Forestry Commission) can  start imposing fines on everyone who has not cleaned and strimmed around their properties.

The land should really be ‘débroussaillé’ or cut away as follows:

♣ 50 m around any buildings
♣ 10 m deep on either side of private paths or roads leading to buildings (this is to enable the fire services to pass in safety)

In towns and on housing estates, (lotissements) it is the responsibility of the land owner to clear the land.
In rural areas, it is the responsibility of the person whose property may be at risk, even if he or she is not the landowner. (art L322-3 cf)

Débroussaillement

FAILURE TO OBSERVE THESE REGULATIONS COULD RESULT IN A FINE AND MAY AFFECT YOUR INSURANCE CLAIM AND PAYOUT IN CASE OF FIRE.

Test your French

Read the text in English and use the words below to fill in the blanks

What is ‘débroussaillement/débroussaillage’?
An efficient clearing of brushwood involves:
♣ Getting rid of all dead wood, brush and dry grasses
♣ Cutting down trees that are too near to houses, and shrubs beneath large trees
♣ Planting trees so that the branches do not touch each other
♣ Pruning low branches up to a minimum height of 2 metres
♣Throwing away all cut vegetation by shredding, taking to a tip, or turning into compost

In no circumstances does ‘débroussailler’ mean cutting down all the trees!

Qu’est-ce qu’un ‘débroussaillage’?
Un débroussaillage_1___ sous-entend :
2___tous les bois__3__, les broussailles et les herbes  4___.
Couper les arbres trop 5___ des habitations et les 6 ____sous les grands arbres.
Espacer les arbres 7___ les branches ne se touchent pas.
8____les branches 9___jusqu’à une 10___minimum de 2 mètres.
11____des végétaux coupés par 12__, par évacuation en 13___ou en les compostant.
14____ débroussailler ne signifie 15__tous les arbres !

a) en aucun cas
b) se débarrasser
c) hauteur
d) éliminer
e) couper
f) efficace
g) élaguer
h) afin que
i) arbustes
j) près
k) sèches
l) morts|
m) broyage
n) déchetterie
o) basses

SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE FOR ANSWERS.

 

 

ANSWERS

1f 2d 3l 4k 5j 6i 7h 8g 9o 10c 11b 12m 13n 14a 15e

Comments

  1. If we have existing trees closer than 50m to our house should we have them cut down? To give context to this question we live in the middle of a forest, eeekkk!

    1. My best advice would be a visit to your local fire station – just to be on the safe side.
      The forestry people have apparently been known to fly over in helicopters to check on compliance – but it is more for insurance purposes that it’s worth making sure you get it right. Bon courage.

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