The main objective of the new french policy concerning forestry is to increase the national production of wood by promoting unexploited forests. Indeed the aim is, by means of a wood-energy network, to meet the commitments made by the State in terms of fight against global warming, but also to boost an economic sector facing a serious foreign trade deficit. This wood resource can mainly be found in forests whose exploitation has been given up, following the 20th century movement of land abandonment. And yet, thanks to a maturation of the ecosystem, these unexploited forests have become areas with a remarkable biodiversity. Through the example of the Dordogne upper valley we examine the opportunities for a conciliation of both energy and ecology challenges in these forests. Their aspect is that of a former coppice now abandoned with its undergrowth filled with hundreds of sites, remnants of an intense charcoal burning activity during Modern Times. Marked by their important energy production in the past the paradox is that they are nowadays considered as natural areas to be protected. Through a geohistoric and ethnographic approach we tackle the issue of the socio-economic and territorial conditions in which this charcoal-burning activity took place. The anthracology of the sites enables us to study the effects of this centuries-old practice on today's overall appearance of the forest. This social history of unexploited forests demonstrates the advantages to integrate ancient forestry practices to the actions set up for the protection of nature to reconcile energy and ecology challenges in sustainable development projects for territories subject to agricultural abandonment.
