Background The aim of the proposed LIFE+ project is to improve the conservation status of habitats listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive in North-Rhine Westphalia. Actions will take place across six Natura 2000 sites with a total area of 1,762 ha. The main threatened habitat is ‘old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains,’ which covers small areas. Objectives The project aims to restore the old oak woods habitat to a favourable conservation status by removing the invasive black cherry (Prunus serotina) and to improve the conservation status of heath moors within the oak forests by restoring the habitat ‘degraded raised bogs’ that are capable of regeneration. The original hydrological level of bogs and mires habitats will be restored and buffer zones created around the bogs. At the Natura 2000 site ‘Schwarzes Wasser’, one of the only two natural dystrophic lakes in North-Rhine Westphalia, actions are planned to prevent the loss of local pond Littorelletea habitats. The project will also aim to restore dry sand heaths with Calluna and Genista, inland dunes with open Corynephrus and Agrostis grasslands and European dry heaths. It will also create additional North Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix in the boundary areas of the bogs. The management and restoration of existing habitats and the creation of new habitats provide an opportunity for the conservation of existing species included in the Habitats Directive – for each habitat at least one key species has been defined. These are the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), moor frog (Rana arvalis), yellow-spotted whiteface (Leucorrhinia pectoralis) and floating water-plantain (Luronium natans). A further aim of the project is to involve as many local people as possible in the project actions. Expected results: Development of new habitats within ‘Old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains’, including the conversion of 25 ha of non-indigenous coniferous forests to oak woods habitat; conversion of up to 70 ha of coniferous forest to habitat 9190; and planting of up to 2.5 ha of oak forest as a compensation for the conversion of pine forests to heaths; Development of 1.6 ha of bog woodland, including measures to combat invasion by black cherry (Prunus serotina); Improvement in the state of preservation of peatland habitats 7120, 7140 and 7150, including a reduction in the height of trees on 14.5 ha of bog boundary areas; the removal of trees on bushes on 6 ha of bog; and an increase in the yellow-spotted whiteface population through improvements to breeding places for larvae; Development of two new dystrophic ponds with a surface area of approximately 0.3 ha as spawning waters for moor frog (Rana arvalis); Prevention of the extinction of Luronium natans at the site “Schwarzes Wasser”; Development of an additional 3 ha of wet heaths with Erica tetralix; Development of an additional 3 ha of European dry heaths on historical places; Restoration of 22 ha of dry heaths, dry sand heaths and inland dunes with open grasslands and installation of a 4.6 km-long fence to enable grazing by sheep on these areas; and Purchase of approximately 150 ha of land to implement measures in areas not owned by the project partners.Some measures are also intended in areas directly adjacent to the existing sites of Community interest (sCI). An application to include these areas in the sCI will then be made, and, if granted, would increase these sites by up to 80 ha. In addition to extensive general publicity and public relations work during the project, permanent information boards will be erected on four walking routes to provide information on the value of the local Natura 2000 areas and their habitats and species.