National nature reserve created on the Jurassic cliffs of Calvados

Decree No. 2026-848 of September 2, 2026, published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0210 of September 9, 2026, establishes the Calvados Jurassic Cliffs National Nature Reserve. Signed under NOR TECL2526406D, this text originates from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature and places a vast stretch of Normandy’s coastal cliffs under strong protection.

The reserve covers a total area of approximately 1,877 hectares, including 569 terrestrial hectares and 1,308 hectares of maritime areas. It spans the Calvados coastline, from the Bessin to the surroundings of Trouville-sur-mer, integrating iconic sites such as Pointe du Hoc, Cap Romain, the Vaches Noires, and Mont Canisy.

A perimeter divided into six zones

The decree organizes the reserve into six zones with evocative names, each delimited by cadastral parcels and natural boundaries:

• Zone 1, known as the Western Bessin;
• Zone 2, known as the Eastern Bessin;
• Zone 3, known as Cap Romain and the Confessionnaux;
• Zone 4, known as the Vaches Noires;
• Zone 5, known as Mont Canisy;
• Zone 6, known as the Roches Noires and Pointe du Heurt.

The perimeter is mapped on a 1/125,000 scale map, on cadastral plans, and on the nautical chart of the French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM), which can be consulted at the Calvados prefecture.

A strict protection regime

The classification imposes strong prohibitions to preserve coastal biodiversity:

• prohibition of introducing non-domestic animal species and harming wildlife, their habitats, eggs, and nests;
• prohibition of introducing plants and harming non-cultivated plants;
• prohibition of any research or mining activity, as well as the extraction of fossils, rocks, sands, and minerals;
• prohibition of industrial, artisanal, and commercial activities, except for exceptions related to the management of the site;
• prohibition of low-altitude overflights by motorized and non-motorized aircraft from February 15 to August 15 in the Western Bessin zone.

Traditional activities remain regulated: agriculture, pastoralism and forestry, marine farming, professional and recreational fishing, as well as hunting, in compliance with current regulations and the objectives of the management plan.

Governance and scope

The management of the reserve is entrusted to the Prefect of Calvados, who exercises the powers devolved by the decree, while the Maritime Prefect of the English Channel and the North Sea cosigns decisions falling within their field of competence. The text repeals Decree No. 84-635 of July 16, 1984, which created the Cap Romain cliff national nature reserve, now integrated into the new perimeter.

For readers, this creation constitutes a major step forward for the environmental protection of the Normandy coastline: it sanctuaries an exceptional geological and biological heritage, while maintaining a balance between strict conservation and the continuation of traditional human activities, pending the approval of the management plan by the prefect.

Official Source: Official Journal of the French Republic (JORF) No. 0210 of September 9, 2026 — Decree No. 2026-848 of September 2, 2026, NOR TECL2526406D.