Background Slovenia is among the few European countries with a well-preserved population of brown bear (Ursus arctos), listed as a priority species in the Habitats Directive. The size of the brown bear population has increased in the last decades and, consequently, there has been an increase in the number of bears along the main migration routes towards Italy and Austria. This has, however, created situations of conflict and consequent negative public attitudes towards the bears, particularly in areas where the brown bear had been absent throughout the last century and where people feel disturbed even by the temporary presence of single animals. In recent years there has been pressure from some local communities to reduce bear populations. Another threat to the species is fragmentation of the habitat. For example, on average, ten bears are killed every year on the Ljubljana-Trieste railway line and parallel highway. Objectives The Slovenia Forest Service planned to elaborate a series of sectoral action plans based on data collected in past years aiming at reducing potential areas of conflict between humans and bears. These would be presented to and discussed with representatives of all relevant sectors including nature conservation, forestry, agriculture, traffic, tourism and hunting groups. The project foresaw the implementation and testing of practical steps to reduce conflicts in two pilot areas. These might include the creation of sanctuary zones, the payment of compensation for damages, measures to direct bears away from settlements, the removal of garbage dumps that attract bears and the installation of fences and other protective devices. The project planned to provide equipment and training for a rapid intervention group, to handle problematic bears. Work was planned to preserve brown bear habitats and migration corridors to the Alps through cooperation between sectors and public administrations to incorporate the needs of bears in sectoral planning. A key objective of this project was to promote measures to improve public attitudes towards the brown bear. An appreciable part of the budget was envisaged for the development of an elaborate communication strategy and the launch of a multi-faceted public-awareness campaign. Results The project succeeded in developing and testing a series of action plans for the effective management of bear populations in harmony with human settlements. These should guide future monitoring activities and interventions and will play a key role in preparing the national management plan for Natura 2000 sites. The project developed a bear population management plan containing background analysis of the current size and trends in the brown bear population, a detailed description of the main factors affecting bear numbers, a clear methodology for monitoring the population and principles of intervention. An action plan for the habitat of bears was developed, presenting tasks and management requirements for zones that were identified as necessarily ‘peaceful’ for bears: ‘winter dens’ zones; feeding places; areas of particularly rich natural interest; and migratory corridors. This covered forest management schemes and guidance on how railways and roads should be structured. The project carried out an analysis of the activities of and damage caused by bears, which revealed that the main reasons for bears entering human settlements were the search for food, increasing bear numbers and changes of habitats. Required measures to avoid conflict between bears and humans were identified as appropriate waste disposal, the installation of buffer zones between the forest and settlements, the protection of particularly vulnerable objects such as bee-hives and fields and appropriately managed tourist infrastructure around the bears’ natural habitat. These measures were tested in different locations and extra training provided for the emergency response team of the Slovenia Forest Service. Five collars with GPS transmitters were bought and attached to bears to provide extra information. A Book of Procedures and separate Guidelines on damage estimation were prepared - in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment - to ensure a coherent and transparent scheme for compensation of damages caused by bears. Significantly, an extensive analysis of existing information and attitudes revealed that there was a lack of informed thought and rational discussion around bears. A comprehensive awareness raising strategy was implemented using a variety of communication tools and an information centre was opened during the project.