Sensitive meadows on the department of Orne in 2026

This data represents permanent grassland areas classified as sensitive under the greening payment for the department of Orne. EU rules require Member States to designate permanent grassland that is environmentally sensitive in areas covered by the Birds and Habitats Directives, i.e. in areas classified under Natura 2000. For Orne, sensitive grasslands are areas that were permanent grassland or pasture in 2014, present in areas determined by their rich biodiversity within Natura 2000 areas, for natural grasslands. The latter zoning was developed by the National Museum of Natural History on the basis of the distribution of habitats and grassland species based on occurrences of habitats and species of Community interest, referred to in the Birds and Habitats Directives. The farmers concerned must keep the area in permanent grassland, and may neither plough it nor convert it into arable land or permanent crop, unless they are exposed to a reduction/penalty on its green payment and an obligation to relocate the following year. However, surface tillage is allowed on these surfaces, for example to allow oversowing.