The plateau of Carlaveyron and the Coupeau and Merlet slopes are included in a protection zone of community interest of about 21000ha, spread over 6 communes. We keep in Les Houches:

Animal species :

• Wintering area for chamois and ibex. Presence of many large mammals: deer, wild boars, deer in the spruce forest.
• Presence of mountain hare and lynx.
• Nesting of golden eagles, hazel grouse, ptarmigan and black grouse. Presence of Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle and Bearded Vulture. In addition, several species of community interest are present and nest in the forest, including the Eurasian Owl, Tengmalm’s Owl, Three-toed Woodpecker, Woodcock.

Plant species:

Of the 441 species listed, 20 are rare and / or protected, including the Alpine Lycopodium, the Magellanic Lick, the Leafless Epipogon, the Round-leaved Rossoli and the Swiss Willow which are protected at the national level.

The objective of the ranking is to protect the habitats. This involves monitoring current human activities (pastoralism, hunting and tourism) as well as limiting the impact of new activities: coherent development of tourist actions and not favoring the (unlikely) resettlement of pastoral exploitation.
Actions will necessarily be put in place to maintain these habitats of priority interest in order to:

• first restore the environments and their characteristics (especially water),
• promote the maintenance of these environments in the face of a natural evolution of competing forest environments