Use and management of forest area of Regina/Saint-Georges, French Guiana

Regina/Saint-Georges forest estate is the subject of increasing attention in French Guiana. Actually, this location has several specific aspects. As the easternmost area, it shows an increasing forestry activity. On the other hand, its southern limit is in direct contact with Oyapock stream, natural border between French Guiana and Brazil. To determine the effective attractiveness of Regina/Saint-Georges forest estate, it is necessary to pinpoint key actors and to characterize their specific practices. Through questionnaires, surveys and interviews with the population, different stakeholders have been identified. Forestry activity is more and more important in this area, the wood professionals play a significant role on the resource. This study permits to retrace the east Guiana forest industry and to propose an evolution on the use of the domain. Especially since the background border with Brazil and the imminent opening of the cross-border bridge between Brazil and French Guiana lead to different questions about the evolutions of access to resources on both sides of the border. Worries for professionals and individuals too. It is important to remember that local population has a significant impact on the resources offered by the forest. Traditional hunting and gathering are still very much practiced by some communities and the forest estate remains for them an essential source of food.