Background Fens are distinguished from bogs by having a source of water other than rainfall, being nutrient rich and being alkaline rather than acidic. In Europe these rare habitats are threatened by drainage, nutrient enrichment, fragmentation and climate change. The 467 ha Anglesey Fens SAC (a group of seven sites) contains the most extensive area of fen in western Great Britain, supporting 42% of the total Welsh resource of alkaline fen (EU Habitat Type 7230) and 56% of the total Welsh resource of calcareous fen (EU Habitat Type 7210). The 284 ha Lleyn Fens (a group of four sites) is the next most significant site in Wales supporting 13% of the Welsh resource of alkaline fen and 6.5% of the Welsh resource of calcareous fen. The habitats are in an unfavourable condition as a result of the increased abundance of purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea), under-grazing, drainage, increasing nutrient loads and inadequate burning management. Of these threats, under-grazing by cattle, ponies and sheep is considered the most severe. A project to tackle the threats to the habitats on these sites is significant at a European level. The sites lie at the western extremity of this habitat type in Europe and are a biogeographical stepping stone between the fens of East Anglia and the fens of the Atlantic fringes of Ireland. Objectives The objective of the project is to achieve ‘favourable’ or ‘unfavourable-recovering’ condition for some 750 ha of fen by implementing a series of measures aimed at tackling the factors which currently affect the condition of the Natura 2000 sites. The project will focus on the 84 ha of alkaline fen and 104 ha of calcareous fen found within the overall mosaic of wetland habitats. The project will specifically address each of the factors responsible for unfavourable condition and will work at a catchment scale to restore hydrology and development management agreements with farmers. The project thus aims to achieve a sustainable future for the fens by addressing the changes in land use and management necessary to maintain the conservation gains of the project. The most important actions are: Tackling neglect and inappropriate management by mowing and harvesting vegetation on 114 ha; introducing a conservation grazing scheme on 446 ha; controlled burning on 168 ha; and controlling scrub encroachment on 60 ha; Reducing the input of nutrients to the wetlands by installing measures to reduce or remove nutrient input to the sensitive habitats; Blocking drains to raise water levels along 5 813 m of ditches and to prevent further damage to peat through shrinking and oxidisation, and re-establishing 3 479 m of hydrological pathways; Peat stripping (removal of the top layer of peat) on 15 ha of the most neglected sites where it is necessary to restart the succession processes; Introducing management agreements with landowners on a minimum of 217 ha along with land purchase/agreement on 66 ha and an awareness-raising programme; Preparing farm nutrient, biodiversity and diversification management plans for 40 farms; Mowing firebreaks on an area of 76 ha to reduce the likelihood of extensive fires. The project will also consider the need to increase the resilience of the habitats to climate change through creating and expanding ‘stepping stones’ and ecological corridors between fragmented sites and by reducing water loss caused by a high cover of scrub and tall vegetation.