Background The majority of the project areas are protected as nature reserves, or bird sanctuaries, as well as being Natura 2000 network sites. In recent years, the habitats have begun to deteriorate because of a lack of management. The grassland habitats and grazed forests have become overgrown with bushes and trees, following the ending of grazing and hay- making activities. The overgrowth has had a serious negative impact on the birdlife, plants, animals and fungi dependant on old semi-natural grasslands. Forestry plantations have created uniform forests with insufficient clearings and decaying wood – necessary for biodiversity. Exotic tree species used in surrounding forestry areas have invaded the natural forest habitats. Species connected to the old, sun exposed Pinus sylvestris trees, or deciduous trees, forest fires and coarse woody debris are now rare and threatened in the project area, as elsewhere in Sweden. Drainage of wetlands is another problem, dramatically changing the habitats resulting in loss of biodiversity. Objectives The project’s overall aim is to improve the conservation status and habitats of the Natura 2000 network sites of the Western Baltic Archipelago. The main focus is the species and habitats favoured by traditional agricultural management, natural structures and disturbance regimes in forests and in shallow waters. Specific objectives are (in order of importance): To restore to a favourable conservation status the habitats and species of overgrown grassland habitats and grazed forests. This includes birds, plant, fungi and insects associated with grazed meadows, grassland bushes and forest edges, as well as wood-swelling beetles, fungi and lichens connected with wide-crowned old trees. The lifespan of pollarded and old trees will be prolonged through management; To reduce predation of bird colonies by the invasive American mink (Mustela vison); To carry out actions targeting commercial monoculture forest plantations to ensure they become more varied and to secure a more favourable status with more clearings and coarse woody debris. Species connected with the old, sun exposed trees, should benefit and numbers of invasive tree species will be reduced; and To restore wetland habitats and associated flora and fauna. Expected results: Improved habitat quality for 1 411.9 ha of the following habitats: 1150, 1620, 1630*, 4030, 5130, 6270*, 6410, 6510, 6530*, 7140, 7230, 8230, 9010*, 9020*, 9070, 9080, 9160, 9190, 91D0. The measures will also target 117.4 ha of other areas of grassland and 434.3 ha of wooded habitat, likely to become valuable after restoration and over time; Habitat restoration benefits on 179.6 ha for Philomachus pugnax, Limosa lapponica and Tringa glareola through improved nesting and resting sites; Habitat improvements and a reduction of mink predation across 155 ha of habitat favoured by targeted species of terns; Improvements to 4.3 ha of Botrychium simplex habitats; and Improvements to more than 50 ha of habitats favoured by Lucanus cervus, Anthrenochernes stellae and Osmoderma eremita.