With nearly 2 500 km² of protected territory, the Mercantour National Park (PNM), with its Italian neighbour, the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime, has become a beacon for the protection of biodiversity in Europe. For over 30 years, many targeted conservation projects have been carried out across this mountainous massif at the south-western tip of the Alps. Beyond the general protection of regulated areas in the core zone of the park (963 km²), some emblematic large mammals and birds such as the alpine ibex and the bearded vulture have benefited from population reintroduction and/or reinforcement programmes, legitimizing a voluntarist conservation policy that relies on the participation of numerous scientific partners, NGOs and other regional stakeholders (farmers, hunters, etc.). The involvement of local actors has also become a key element of conservation policy. With the natural return of wolves, linked to their expansion in Italy and through the Liguria region, several European programmes bringing together environmental and agricultural stakeholders have made it possible to develop better coexistence between farmers, shepherds and this newly installed predator, which has forced changes to grazing practices. Today, PNM is at the crossroads of a number of changes. First, on the issue of scientific protocols and programmes, it particularly emphasizes their consistency across various networks, in the context of the global crisis of biodiversity. Second, the park is undergoing a major change in its mode of governance, collaborating with local actors to write a charter for the territory. These efforts towards development and a local takeover of natural resource management policy present a complex, dual challenge: to encourage initiatives and innovations from local actors in membership-based initiatives while enhancing the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage and the natural resources throughout the territory.
