Building the road was the easy part. Getting there took around five years. Municipalities, SDIS, the Syndicat Mixte, State services and landowners had to work through environmental requirements, land ownership and administrative procedures, and agree who would own and maintain the infrastructure.
For small rural authorities, that groundwork is demanding. Local stakeholders say earlier planning of funding and simpler, more predictable procedures would help, while environmental and land requirements remain essential. Funding was other hurdle. EAFRD support, known in France as FEADER, was decisive: with limited municipal budgets, the investment would not otherwise have been possible.
And the work does not end with construction. In both Solférino and Sud-Charente, roads, tracks and water points need long-term care. The cooperation that made them possible is what will keep them useful to foresters and firefighters for years to come.
