Bois et forets en bas-poitou au xviiie siecle. Contribution a l'histoire administrative et sociale

Woods and forests, lower poitou, 18th century : a contribution to administrative and social history

• Auteur / Autrice : Pierre-Yannick Legal
• Direction : Yvon Le Gall
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Histoire du droit
• Date : Soutenance en 1994
• Etablissement(s) : Nantes

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Forêts -- Gestion -- France -- Bas-Poitou

Résumé

L'ordonnance de 1669, inspiree par colbert, marque le point de depart d'une nouvelle politique forestiere dans l'ensemble du royaume. Ce long texte fait suite a une periode debutee en 1661, au cours de laquelle a ete operee une remise en octobre des forets dependant du domaine royal. En bas-poitou, le roi ne possedera de forets que tardivement (1694). Pour repondre a cette situation nouvelle, une maitrise particuliere des eaux et forets sera creee a fontenay-le-comte, echelon local de l'administration forestiere. Elle fonctionnera sans interruption jusqu'en 1790. Les actions saillantes des officiers forestiers qui se succederont au sein de cette maitrise seront : la conservation de l'integralite des espaces boises appartenant au roi et aux ecclesiastiques, l'eviction de tous les intrus arguant d'un droit d'usage reel au suppose, la mise en ordre des peuplements dans le cadre d'une sylviculture orientee vers la production de bois de futaie. Le caractere contraignatn de l'ordonnance visera tous les possesseurs de bois, et fera peser sur les forestiers, prives de toute initiative et etroitement surveilles, le poids d'une veritable et pesante tutelle. Les forestiers deviendront au fil du temps des agents disciplines, des representants de la monarchie administrative du dix-huitieme siecle, des specialistes de la conservation d'espaces boises, plus que des hommes capable de repondre a une demande de bois requerant des traitements de peuplements complexes. Ceux-ci n'auront cours qu'au dix-neuvieme siecle lorsque seront inventes de nouveaux modes de gestion, appliques aux forets domaniales et a celles de communautes laiques et ecclesiastiques.

The ordinance of 1669, inspired by colbert, was the starting point of a new style as regards the management of the forestry which was to be applied within the whole kingdom. This long act brought to an end the period initiated in 1661 which was devoted to the complete reorganization of the administration of the woods and forests belonging to the king. In lover poitou the king became quite late the owner of some forests (1694). This new acquired position led him to establish there a maitrise particuliere, i. E. A local command of the forestry administration. Located at fontenay-le-comte it remained in function without any break until 1790. Within this local administration the officiers were given three main duties: the preservation of the entire wooded country owned by the king and the ecclesiastical communities; the eviction of all trespassers who were claiming common of estovers, either actual or alleged; the restoration of planting in order to aim sylviculture towards the production of timbers. . Foresters progressively became well disciplined commissioners who exactly threw back the administrative and bureaucratic monarchy of the 18th century. They were rather specialists in preserving wooded lands than men being able to satisfy a claim for timbers. Such a claim indeed made it necessary to rely on complex methods of planting which did not come into use before the 19th century. Where a new management style was made up and applied to the woods and forests belonging to the public domain and some other communities, either lay or ecclesiastical.