Today, there is no longer any relationship between the municipality of La Teste-de-Buch and the National Forestry Office (ONF). This conflict crystallized around the reopening of the Salie Sud car park, located in the state forest managed by the ONF and currently prohibited from access by municipal decree. Until now, the latter has always refused.
But the city demanded it. This Thursday, June 27, during the municipal council of La Teste, Fabien Dufailly, sports assistant, made the conflict public: “We are faced with a manager who refuses, and they wrote to us, to reopen this parking lot, despite our proposal to finance the work. We will be able to reopen this parking lot. »
“We will fight and we will succeed in reopening this parking lot”
It was then that the opponent Marc Muret (related to Reconquête) spoke: “The ONF, after the millions of euros they earned thanks to the city following the fire, expressed great ingratitude and behaves more like a limited company than a state agency. I am surprised that here, we are allowing a standoff with the city. » Patrick Davet, the LR mayor, retorts that he has issued a decree: “The ONF, for a long time, has been organizing concerts in the forest in the summer. This decree prohibits them from doing so. See, we know how to be firm. I even refused to receive them. »
Blocking
So what is it? What does the ONF say? It confirms its initial refusal, because the site is still devastated, the restaurant destroyed by the fire still not cleaned: “As it stands, explains Éric Constantin, Landes-Aquitaine director of the ONF, the Salie Sud is not accessible to traffic, nor to the parking of motorized vehicles in safe conditions. It is nevertheless open to cyclists via the Vélodyssée.”
“As it stands, Salie Sud is not accessible to traffic, nor to the parking of motorized vehicles in safe conditions”
Impossible in fact, says the ONF, to carry out major works in Salie Sud. Forced to reopen “by force” the other car parks on the ocean beaches of La Teste for the summer of 2023, he has neither the agents nor the money. And he added 400 spaces to the Salie Nord car park, which was not full on May 8, a busy day.
But the ONF changed its position: “Following the request from the town hall to open the Salie Sud to motor vehicles (30 spaces) in the event of a peak in tourist numbers (six weekends between 14 July and 18 August), the ONF agency director had given his agreement for emergency work under certain conditions (the majority proposed by the town hall by letter of 29 April) in order to guarantee safety.” Which ones? Debarked trunks to mark out parking, prohibit certain access points, signage towards supervised swimming areas, and municipal police patrols. Finally, the ONF decides on the opening, since in the national forest, it is its responsibility.
“The ONF can only deplore this deadlock, which it has tried to defuse”
The tone, perhaps a bit threatening, of the ONF would have ruined everything: “The mayor has decided to cancel his request. The ONF can only deplore this blocked situation, which it has tried to defuse. ” End of the story…
Ha no, one detail: “The ONF has no plans to organize a concert in the La Teste national forest,” assures Eric Constantin.
