Natural Reserves of France
Natural Reserves of France (RNF) is an association under the 1901 Law created in 1982 to bring together professionals from natural reserves in a single national network.
The three main missions that guide its action are to protect, manage and make discover the natural reserves.
In May 2019, there were 349 of these, distributed over metropolitan and overseas territory and totaling an area of nearly 680,000km2, both land and sea. In mainland France, reserves occupy nearly 2,000km2, and thus contribute to 25% of the National Strategy for the Creation of Protected Areas (SCAP).
The association, which in 2018, had 619 members including 428 natural persons, brings together management organizations, professionals and volunteers in charge of protection and management, experts and organizations for nature protection and classification authorities (State and regions).
About 32,000 animal and plant species have been identified within the NRF network, notably including half of the plants, more than 80% of the mammals, birds and amphibians and a quarter of the insects and arthropods known in mainland France. Finally, more than 80 reserves are the seat of a geological heritage recognized by the experts of the network.
NRF is thus a driving force in the protection of biological and geological heritage on a national scale.