VANOISE NATIONAL PARK

nature reserve, located in the dpartement of Savoie, southeastern France, and contiguous with the Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy. The park, created in 1963, is the oldest French national park and occupies 130,565 ac (52,839 ha). The park is dominated by the Massif de la Vanoise, which is bounded by the Isre River to the east and the Arc River to the south. The Pointe de la Grande Casse (12,638 ft ) is the highest peak in the park; there are 107 others that rise above 9,800 ft. Conifers predominate and include larches, firs, spruces, Scots pines, mountain pines, and arollas. Zones of quartzite and schist support rock campions, cowberries, wavy hairgrass, blue-spiked rampions, and round-leaved restharrow. Typical birds are nutcrackers, black grouse, ptarmigan, ring ouzels, golden eagles, and buzzards. Ibex, chamois, marmots, foxes, and badgers are common. Sheep are allowed to graze in the park. More than 350,000 ac adjoining the park have been designated as a peripheral, or buffer, zone and are being developed to accommodate tourists. The peripheral zone includes the nature reserves of Tignes and Val-d'Isre.