Background One of the largest unbroken expanses of chalk grassland in North-West Europe can be found at Salisbury Plain. Covering some 14,000 ha, the site is a haven for a wide range of flora species that characterise this type of habitat. Its fauna value is not to be ignored either - a third of the UK’s population of stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus breeds within the SPA boundary and surrounding farmland, and one of the largest colonies of the Marsh fritillary Euphrydryas aurinia can also be found here. It is rare that such a large area of chalk grassland still exists in this part of the country. Most will have been a prime target for agricultural improvement schemes. But Salisbury Plain was spared this fate thanks to its strategic importance to the British army. It is in fact the UK’s prime military training area. As a consequence, the impact of intensive modern agriculture has been very limited compared to the wider countryside. But the particular restrictions in land uses imposed by military exercises have had their down side too. Much of the area is suffering from management neglect – invading scrub, insufficient grazing, areas of over-grazing, fragmentation, etc. Objectives The overall objective of the project was to improve the management of Salisbury Plain Natura 2000 sites. The main threat to these habitats and species was the historic lack of grazing, scrub encroachment and afforestation of chalk grassland habitats. Recognising the need to restore the conservation value of the site, a partnership was formed between English Nature (renamed Natural England in 2007), the statutory conservation agency, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Together they agreed on a programme of activities to remove invading scrub, unexploded ammunition and certain tree plantations, and to improve habitat conditions for the stone curlew and the marsh fritillary. Perhaps one of the most innovative aspects of the project was its intention to re-introduce a more flexible form of grazing. Because the areas need to remain available for military training exercises at relatively short notice, sheep had to be kept in enclosed areas. This not only leads to overgrazing but also limits economic benefits for the farmers. Thus, to improve the economies of scale for the farming tenants and the conservation state of the site, an experimental shepherding programme was to be launched to allow sheep to roam over larger areas in function of the particular training schedules of the Ministry of Defence. The project’s objective was to implement a series of measures on four sites to: - Restore chalk grassland habitats to a favourable condition - Restore juniper scrub habitats to a favourable condition - Improve breeding conditions for the stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in and adjacent to project sites - Enhance chalk grasslands for the marsh fritillary butterfly Euphydryas aurinia Results The Salisbury Plain LIFE project was a very successful programme of habitat restoration in Northern Europe’s biggest remaining chalk grassland (approximately 14,000 ha). The project brought together all of the main stakeholders in the area - conservation groups, the military and farmers - to produce a workable conservation action plan for the area and to improve the habitat potential for two key species, the stone curlew and the marsh fritillary butterfly. Activities included - scrub removal and the subsequent maintenance of scrub to benefit chalk grassland, stone-curlew, marsh fritillary and juniper; - plantation removal to allow for restoration of chalk grassland; - creation and management of breeding plots for stone-curlew and predator control, including the erection of anti-predator electric fencing and the shooting of foxes and crows. Through the employment of a herdsman, the project also enabled the flexible movement of animals within areas of unfenced grassland, thus establishing grazing regimes on areas that had not been grazed for many years. This demanded high levels cooperation, particularly with the Ministry of Defence. The project has resulted in an increase in both breeding pairs of stone curlews and numbers of marsh fritillaries. It has shown what can be achieved with good management, and it is the first cooperation between the military and conservation groups to achieve habitat management on such a large scale. The project implemented an awareness-raising campaign involving the production of informative literature and display boards for all users of the MoD training area: the military, the local community and members of the general public. It arranged a series of events and workshops that promoted greater appreciation of the wildlife and nature conservation of Salisbury Plain. The project also established a network, so that the results of the project can be applied to other LIFE projects in France, Belgium and Slovenia dealing with calcareous grassland sites.