The image showcases a spectacular Alpine landscape in La Plagne. In the foreground, a hiking trail winds across a grassy slope dotted with rocks. A woman stands on a rocky outcrop to the right, raising her arms in a gesture of joy or celebration. Below, a rounded artificial lake reflects the blue sky. Further ahead, a mountain resort with clustered buildings lies at the foot of the hills. In the background, majestic mountains stretch to the horizon, with Mont Blanc visible on the right beneath a clear sky. The scene conveys a sense of freedom and connection with nature.

Nature and ski area

La Plagne takes care of its biodiversity

At La Plagne, the ski area is part of a sustainable approach that aims to balance mountain activities, biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change.

Environmental Observatory

Understanding better to protect better

Created in 2014, the Environmental Observatory of the La Plagne Ski Area helps improve our understanding of Alpine ecosystems in order to limit the impact of developments on living environments. Monitoring is carried out by Karum, an environmental consultancy specialising in ecological studies.

Since its creation, more than 8,800 observations of fauna and flora have been recorded. The Observatory focuses in particular on:
- fauna and flora
- wetlands and watercourses
- the landscape integration of developments

Black and white speckled bird perched on a conifer branch with pine cones, under a blue sky.

New since 2024

Towards the renaturation of spaces

Since summer 2024, the Observatory has taken a new direction. Its main objective is to assess the level of artificialisation compared with the degree of naturalness in areas managed by the Société d’Aménagement de La Plagne as part of its activities.

This approach aims to:

establish a precise baseline assessment
identify areas with strong potential for renaturation
implement concrete actions by 2030

Diagram showing the natural state of the slopes according to a study of the Carroley, Belle Plagne, Prajourdan and Montchavin areas: 53% natural slopes, 25% semi-natural slopes and 22% artificial slopes.

Targeted ecological monitoring

Certain protected plant species are subject to long-term monitoring programmes, including:

Green Buxbaumia

10-year monitoring programme (2015–2025) carried out as part of the project to build the Montalbert gondola lift.

Androsace

Transplantation carried out during the works to replace the Bellecôte gondola with the Glaciers gondola in 2020.

Alpine Clubmoss

30-year monitoring programme and transplantations implemented during the replacement of the Roche de Mio gondola lift.

Water Observatory

Responsible resource management

Established in 2023, the Water Observatory aims to improve practices related to snowmaking, in a context of climate change.

Flow meters have been installed on several watercourses and complemented by hydrological and geological analyses. These studies make it possible to:

identify the most favourable periods for water abstraction
assess pressure on catchment areas
adapt usage for a more responsible use of water

The ski area is now structured into 16 catchment areas, studied in order to evaluate their ecological potential and identify areas requiring restoration.

A panoramic view of Lac des Blanchets in La Plagne at sunset. In the foreground, a calm lake reflects the warm light of the setting sun. Winding paths wind through the green slopes. In the distance, jagged mountain peaks are bathed in soft golden light.

A Black Grouse stands on a snowy surface, its tail fanned out and the bright red wattles above the beak clearly visible. This characteristic posture highlights this iconic Alpine bird, commonly found in high‑mountain environments.

New winter 2025

Quiet zones for the Black Grouse

An emblematic species of Alpine wildlife, the Black Grouse is particularly vulnerable during winter. To protect it, three quiet zones have been established within the ski area in partnership with Vanoise National Park.

These zones, indicated both on the ground and on the piste map, limit access to sensitive areas and help raise awareness among mountain users.

The stone pine forest on gypsum

A rare ecosystem

At the heart of La Plagne lies a rare and fragile ecosystem: the stone pine forest growing on gypsum soil. In this unusual environment, the Swiss stone pine manages to grow on poor soil thanks to a valuable ally: the spotted nutcracker, a bird that disperses its seeds and allows the forest to regenerate.

This interaction between geology, fauna and flora creates a unique habitat in Savoie, home to biodiversity adapted to extreme conditions. A true natural treasure.