Background As a transmitter of electricity, Elia’s priority is to ensure the security of the electricity network. This sometimes means that forest corridors are created to secure overhead lines. These corridors are currently often “no man’s land”, without any vegetation or wildlife. However, these same corridors could form an important network of ecological corridors. At present, public and private owners consider these corridors as non-productive forest sites, while the tourism sector denounces their negative impact on the natural beauty of the landscape. At the same time, transmission system operators spend considerable sums maintaining these areas to ensure that there is no vegetation that can hinder the overhead lines. This corridor maintenance does not currently take into account their potential value in terms of biodiversity. Objectives The aim of the ELIA LIFE+ Biodiversity project is to develop innovative techniques for the creation and maintenance of these corridors under overhead lines, allowing the maximisation of their potential benefits for biodiversity. The expected benefits include: the preservation of the natural beauty of the landscape; improved attractiveness to tourists, hunters and local residents; greater acceptance by the general public of line infrastructure in the landscape; and a better public image for the transmission system operator. The new ecological corridors will allow local biodiversity to develop and will help facilitate the movement of species from one natural site to another, which is especially important in the context of climate change. Specificially, the project aims to restore 130 km of corridors under overhead high voltage lines in Belgium and France. The corridors will be approximately 50m wide. It will also seek to demonstrate that active management for biodiversity can reduce the costs of securing and maintaining corridors under overhead power lines. The project aims to become an important pilot at European level that will share its experience with other European electricity transmission system operators, representing 300 000 km of potential green corridors. The project deliberately includes project actions in corridors in three regions of France with very diverse climatic conditions, so as to develop several sets of guidelines and good practices that can be shared with other European transmission system operators. Expected results include: The restoration of 70km of corridor in which "second height trees" will be planted, especially local species; The creation of 20 ha of orchards dedicated to the conservation of a genetic pool of rustic species and varieties of forest fruit trees; Restoration of 20 ha of peat bog and wet and dry moors; The creation of natural pasturages for wildlife (game and others); The restoration of 25 ha area by soil scraping to take advantage of the pre-existent seed bank; The creation of 100 ponds; The control of invasive species; The installation of 15 km of fences and the mowing of over 20 ha; The maintenance of dead wood (the aim to reach is 10 m3/ha); In France, the enhancement of 7.5 km of forest edges, the restoration of 5 ha of peat bog and wet and dry moors, the creation of 10 ponds, and the erection of 4 km of fence; A website and other communication material for the general public; and The building of three observation towers for eco-tourism.