Background Slovenia has a rich biodiversity, encompassing Mediterranean and Alpine regions. The Slovenian government has proposed 35 percent of national territory as Natura 2000 sites. Intensive farming practices, however, together with a gradual emigration of the younger generation from the countryside to the city, and the consequent abandonment of pastures and meadows, are having a direct negative impact on habitats and species whose conservation is considered as a priority by the Habitats and Birds Directives. More than a half of Slovenia is covered with forest, but past intensive afforestation practices with exotic conifers have resulted in a drastic reduction of native tree species and habitats for forest bird species. The Slovenian government intends to address these problems and meet the challenge of contributing to the European network of protected areas. But Natura 2000 sites can be managed successfully only if local administrations are aware of their rich biodiversity value and the best way to protect and conserve these values. Objectives The main objective of the project was to provide local administrations with a model on which to base the actions aimed at the conservation of habitats and species of EU interest.The beneficiary, the Institute for Nature Conservation of the Republic of Slovenia, foresaw the drawing up of official “Guidelines for preparation of management plans for Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia” and the production and implementation of five specific management plans, covering a total area of over 67 000ha. The project would target three priority species and 19 habitats (six of which priority), according to the Habitats Directive, two priority birds and 20 other species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive. Specific actions would be carried out within all five Natura 2000 sites, including lease of trees important for wood peckers, owls and other forest birds, so as to prevent their destruction, mowing of at least 100ha of meadows to prevent the disappearance of Molinia and lowland hay meadows, fencing of an area with Deditel mare (Pulsatilla grandis), improving hydrological conditions, creating new educational trails and the construction of a bird-watching tower. The beneficiary would carry out an ambitious information and awareness raising national campaign, consisting of the setting up a Natura 2000 information system and the organisation of numerous workshops, both at local and national level. Results The project brought together all concerned parties in a series of workshops to review the existing national nature conservation legislation and incorporate the Natura 2000 requirements. A document “Guidelines for the preparation of management plans for Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia” was prepared. These guidelines will be of a great use to those who will be drawing up management plans for the Natura 2000 sites in accordance with the recently adopted national “Natura 2000 site management programme, 2007-2013 Operational programme” and for other protected sites in Slovenia. The project drew up specific management plans for five different pilot Natura 2000 areas (Snežnik, Jelovica, Jovsi, Petelinjek, and Boletina) to test the guidelines and to assure the necessary nature protection measures. A methodology based on the inclusion of existing sectoral management instruments was used. To raise public awareness, several nature conservation related articles were published in different media, including local newspapers. A series of workshops and lectures were also held for local project partners’ representatives, local communities and other stakeholders. Also, lectures, excursions and a competition for the best poster were arranged for school children, and notebooks, time-tables, school calendars with awarded drawings were distributed to them. An information centre was built in the village Kapele in the Jovsi project area. The project carried out a set of well-defined nature protection action: placing information boards at all project sites, building the Petelinjek educational trail, lease of 101 old trees (the habitat of the middle spotted woodpecker in the Dobrava forest), building a fence around the Deditel mare habitat, mowing and cleaning of meadows, and improving the hydrological conditions in Jovsi. Monitoring of key species and habitats was initiated in all project areas. The project created a Natura 2000 information system, a modern data warehouse with a user-friendly graphic, web-based interface, which stores all the existing nature protection related datasets, which are stated in the Nature Conservation Act, and for which the Institute of Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation is responsible. This information system was designed to be a tool that assists Natura 2000 sites monitoring, management, and reporting. Its designs allows for new modules to be added to the system in the future. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).