Background The Dutch lowland fen areas belong to the most important wetland ecosystems in Western Europe. These areas are young landscapes, formed during the Holocene geological period in the Dutch provinces of South Holland, North Holland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Friesland. These wetlands have been modified by activities such as mowing, grazing and peat extraction, which have enriched its biodiversity through the maintenance of different succession phases, from open water to acidic bogs and forests. Following land abandonment, natural succession and eutrophication occur. At present, the seven lowland fen areas that are the focus of this LIFE project include a large area of well-developed valuable habitat. Nevertheless, the surface area and quality of this habitat has declined in the past few decades, due mainly to hydro-ecological reasons. In order to maintain the rare habitats found in the succession from open water to wet forest, continuous management measures are needed. Threats to the valuable habitats include the dominance of older succession phases, sub-optimal hydrological conditions (e.g. water table set as a function of agricultural activities and the stronger influence of rain water than groundwater, leading to acidification), high nitrogen deposition, external and internal eutrophication (e.g. input of water from the polders, canals, rivers; mineralisation of the peat leading to a release of nutrients), fragmentation and isolation (due to urbanisation and intensive agricultural practises), changes in land use and management (e.g. traditional reed cutting and hay harvest), and increased pressure due to recreational activities. Measures have been taken to improve the hydrology, reduce eutrophication and restore connectivity in the Natura 2000 sites, including actions carried out by LIFE projects at De Wieden and Weerribben. The results of these measures offer hope for the success of the coming restoration measures in the lowland fen areas. In particular, there is considerable potential to enlarge and improve the quality of habitats listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive, and to improve the biotopes of valuable flora and fauna species occurring in these habitats. Objectives The main objective of the project is to restore, improve and/or enlarge the area of fen habitats, with an emphasis on the early successional fen stages (including water vegetation). The project will target seven different lowland fen habitats in the Netherlands. These habitats are listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive and include fens, wet heathlands, freshwater submerse habitats and wet meadows. The main actions to be carried out include: Sod-cutting in degraded/acidified transition mires and quaking bogs to restore fen habitats; Digging ditches in transition mires and quaking bogs to improve the supply of base-rich surface or seepage water and to prevent acidification; Removal of topsoil of land formerly used for agriculture to create Molinia meadows; Digging new peat holes to create water-submersed habitats and develop young succession stages; Dredging eutrophic peat lakes to improve water quality for water habitats; Altering ditches and optimally using the flow of surface water fed by seepage water to improve the hydrological conditions of quaking bogs and other habitats; Creating new marshes and removing land from leasehold agreements to create habitat for marshland birds such as the bittern, purple heron and great reed warbler; Removing shrub, young trees and felling young marsh forest to improve water habitats and young succession fen stages; Construction of float lands (helophytes and other water plants) on three sites in the Oostelijke Vechtplassen area, preceding applied research on succession of young fen habitats; The purchase of a ship and the establishment of a compost facility; Improving the quality of information points and recreational facilities. Expected results: The measures aim to reduce the area of older succession stages and increase the area of young succession stages. The project expects direct restoration and improvement of quality in the short-to-medium term as well as enlargement of the target habitats. Quality improvement is expected on: Some 140 ha of hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp (H3140) and Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition type vegetation (H3150); 0.5 ha of wet heath with Erica tetralix (H4010); 0.5 ha of Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae) (H6410) as well as enlargement by 36 ha; 5 km of Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae (H7210*); and Some 170 ha of transition mires and quaking bogs (H7140). This habitat type will also be enlarged by 110 ha. Other expected results include: Creation or restoration of 3.61 km of ditches; Removal of 2.97 km of wood along ditches (benefitting several target habitats); Creation of a new, 7.5 ha marsh; Enlargement of areas of wood coppicing by 0.7 ha; and Enlargement of 10 ha of other habitats (e.g. land strips in peat bogs).