The Field Committee takes in charge the maintenance of all marked footpaths in the Fontainebleau forest (except the walking trails GR and PR maintained by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre, PR of the Parc Naturel Régional du Gâtinais and horse trails maintained by the ONF). The AFF marked footpaths net  (more than 300 km) includes the Denecourt Blue Footpaths, the diverse circuits discovery and walking footpaths created by the ONF (14 paths in 2011), the famous 25 humps circuit in the Massif des Trois Pignons and the Bicycle Tour around the Fontainebleau Massif (TMV). All those paths are described  in the Footpaths Guide (Guide des Sentiers de Promenade).

The Field Committee has also in charge the permanent inventory of the Remarkable Trees of the  Fontainebleau Forest ; the études historical studies on the milestones belonging to the three domanial forests around Fontainebleau ; and the search, inventory and conservation of the houses, working sites and every remains of the sandstone cutters during the last centuries. These missions are given to three sub-committees: Remarkable Trees, Milestones, and Sandstone Careers and Cutters. Their activities are described in specific pages of the site. All this work is done in tight cooperation with the ONF.

Moreover, the Field Committee, having a thourough knowledge of the forest, is a recognized partner of the ONF in various committees managing all aspects of the forest : public welcome, erosion, communication, etc... It is also a very active partner of the Institut Géographique National (IGN) to elaborate and update the maps, especially the famous 1/25000, n° 2417 OT, of the Fontainebleau Forest.

Last, the Field Committee is responsible for two AFF publications : The Footpaths Guide (Guide des Sentiers de Promenade dans le Massif Forestier de Fontainebleau)  and the Guide of the Remarkable Trees, both regularly updated.

The Field Committee welcomes permanently all members willing to engage in field actions and delivers a formation about footpath marking and maintenance. You may contact its president William Mouilloix by e-mail :  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A slideshow explains everything about footpath marrking and maintenance. A guide is in preparation about the same topic

Role :  Study the old carreers of sandstone in the  Fontainebleau Forest. This search can be extended outside the Fontainebleau area and include an historical study over the preceding centuries.

Means : Do field inspections and maps. Every house in the domanial forests of Fontainebleau and Trois pignons are registrated, conserved, maintained and for some restaurated. Every restauration is done in coordination with the ONF.

Proceed to searches about the techniques of sandstone exploitation (means, tools, etc), the productions and the life of the sandstone cutters. Publish those works.
Functioning : This working group works in tight cooperation with the ONF managing the Forest.  It may call for help some experts : historians, archeologues, scientific people, etc. It gives a regular report of its works to the Field Committee of the AFF.

Photo : L.R. Theurot

Role : An inventory of the remarkable trees, living beings, is by nature evolutive. Hence the following missions have been given to the Working Group :

- continue the search of remarkable trees, maintain the protected trees and their blue spot, by cutting the vegetation around them and preserving their environment.  

- Keep the list of the Remarkable Trees Candidates to replace old trees, either dead, or deperishing, or victims of hurricanes, or cutted accidentally.
- update the inventories 

- publish regularly the updates about the remarkable Trees on the website of the AFF

Functioning : - The Workibng Group works in tight cooperation with ONF. 

- It is an active member of the Committee Piloting the inventory of the arbres remarkable trees in Seine et Marne under behalf of the Council for Architecture, Urbanism and Environment (CAUE77).

- It reports its works regularly at the Field Committee.