This reforestation project in the Médoc region, aimed at restoring two sites affected by the 2017 wildfires, continues to face delays caused by challenging weather conditions on the ground. In the first half of 2025, planting took place across two plots, with 1,790 trees planted out of the 2,490 originally planned. The remaining trees could not be planted at that time because the soil on one plot was heavily waterlogged, making the site inaccessible for machinery and planters.

In September 2025, the team returned to resume soil preparation, but encountered the same issue: the ground was again too wet to work. Later, in the first half of 2026, intense heat forced another postponement, this time to protect young trees from an excessively high mortality risk.

The sandy soils typical of the Landes du Médoc are difficult to work with: they become waterlogged in winter and then extremely dry in spring, leaving only a narrow window for successful planting. The team now plans to complete the planting during the 2026-2027 season, most likely in October 2026.

The portion of the site already planted has not been affected by the wildfires that recently struck the Gironde region, located around 40 km away. The local team in charge of the project has been heavily involved over the past few weeks in operations related to the wildfires.