The park owes its name to the engineer Prosper Demontzey, who was instrumental in restoring mountain terrain in the Southern Alps.
For centuries, the Southern Alps have been prey to erosion due to the almost total disappearance of the forest as a result of human activity. In the second half of the 19th century, the French government decided to take measures to combat this devastating erosion, and a series of laws were passed. Their implementation was entrusted to the Eaux et Forêts administration, and Prosper Demontzey was appointed to Digne in 1868. He became the great architect of reforestation.
Prosper Demontzey understood the importance of correcting torrents before reforestation, and promoted planting instead of seeding. After heading the Basses-Alpes department, he was called upon to oversee RTM (Restoration des Terrains en Montagne) work for the whole of France. The park, open to the public, is a reminder of this work, with several tree species represented around a stele dedicated to the engineer.