Background The areas along the valley of the upper River Meuse in Belgium, and its three main tributaries, the Viroin, the Lesse and the Molignée, have long been renowned for their natural beauty. The grassy limestone hills are rich in flora and fauna, especially orchids and insects. These dry limestone grasslands are a legacy of the mowing and grazing of former times, now abandoned. However, without such management, the grasslands return to woodland and the characteristic heliophilic species (and associated fauna) regress. In places where farming is still practised on these hills, intensification of land use has led to the disappearance of characteristic flora and fauna, which have been replaced by more common species. Furthermore, as the sites have stopped being used as hay meadows, the local inhabitants are no longer interested in their preservation. For some decades, the NGO "Ardenne et Gaume" has been trying to preserve certain sites, with modest success. The LIFE-Nature project, a partnership with the Walloon Region, the municipalities where the sites are located and another conservation NGO, are giving the beneficiary a chance to improve the conservation and management of these threatened biotopes. Objectives The project targets the restoration and management of dry limestone grasslands, rich in orchids currently cover some 15% of the total area (2,280ha) of the project’s subsites. The beneficiary and its partners were to use the data collected during the "Lesse and Lomme" project (LIFE/NAT/B/01/7168) to prepare management plans for the subsites. Some 40 hectares of private land not yet benefitting from appropriate management were to be purchased over the course of the project. Over an area of 180 hectares, shrubs were to be cleared to encourage the return of characteristic flora and fauna. For management by grazing, two itinerant flocks led by a shepherd would be brought in, and four shelters were to be built, to serve as both temporary sheep pens and storage areas. If necessary, certain plant communities were to be managed by mowing. To keep local inhabitants informed, the beneficiary intended to publish information bulletins, prepare a film and improve facilities for visitors. Results The project achieved all its objectives. In the Viroin region, several areas of grassland were separated by brushwoods and wood ranges, resulting in fragmented spaces. 120.58ha were therefore cleared, and corridors now connect previously isolated spots. 34 ha were placed under long-term protection for nature conservation, of which 13 ha were purchased and 21 were leased for 30-50 years. Larger grassland areas create the conditions suitable for the installation of sheep flocks, which will maintain the grasslands by grazing. Since 2004, systematic grazing was organised on different sites and around 200ha are now managed by grazing. In the Viroin area, a flock of 300 sheep and goats are now in place, and taken care of by a local shepherd. Around Dinant, six smaller sites are successively visited by 80 sheep from the same flock. One sheep-barn was built and one was renovated. Several sites were equipped with a 1000 litre water supply, enough to supply the flocks for an average 15-20 day stay, and fences were built around the different sites. The collaboration throughout the project with an experienced professional breeder was a real asset. The significant increase in the surface area, connectivity and quality improved the mobility of the species targeted and the size of their populations, and some areas in the Viroin Valley experienced a spectacular change in their landscape along several kilometres. In addition 165 tons of debris and rubbish were removed from 3 cavities/hollows, which in addition to improving the sites concerned also had a considerable awareness-raising effect among the local population. Cost cutting was achieved by involving the local population in two ways: fuel wood (where available) was cut and taken away directly by the people themselves, and volunteers were involved in the brushwood cutting. This also raised awareness to a signifcant degree. Apart from the obvious benefit in terms of dry grasslands habitats and species, the project achieved other significant results, such as improving the image of the area and enhancing the local identity, reintroducing traditional farming and pastoral methods, and developing local partnerships. A strong and constructive collaboration between NGOs and public authorities is now in place, and over the course of the four years all parties involved benefited from each other’s knowledge and experience. For example, extensive grazing was found to be a new experience for the local forest authority. The local population and tourists have racted positively to the project's impact on the landscape. Several of Viroin’s amenities have been rediscovered and highlighted (rocky outcrops, viewpoints, etc.), and the acquisition and restoration of a sheep-barn in Olloy-sur-Viroin transformed what was once an eyesore into an attraction for hikers. The dry grasslands have qualified as eligible for agro-environmental measures and an ”After LIFE conservation plan” has been prepared. This plan clearly highlights the project’s attainments in terms of future management and the means that will be made available in the next years. It shows that conservation planning is difficult, as dry grasslands are highly sensitive to climatic conditions which determine the possible interventions at every moment in the year - the planning will have to remain highly flexible in the implementation phase. Nevertheless there is a high probability that the management system that was prepared and launched during the project will be sustained in the coming years, and the project's quality of work and integration of local stakeholders in the planning process and implementation provides an excellent model for other projects.