Background The Natura 2000 site “Nordul Gorjului de Vest” (ROSCI0129) in south-western Romania can boast extensive ecological and biological diversity. It contains six types of ecosystem, from woods and bushes to caves, as well as 873 ha of natural sweet chestnut forest - one of only two such areas in the country. The area’s attractions provide great opportunity for tourism. But local organisations seeking to exploit the commercial benefits of this activity are very aware that only through prevention of degradation and pollution and by actively managing the area’s ecosystems can tourism be a sustainable activity. Parts of the area are already degraded or at risk of being destroyed because of bad management, over-grazing and deforestation of mountain pine and juniper to make way for more grazing land. Other problems come from invasive fungus attacking the chestnut trees and an overall lack of habitat management activities. Objectives The 'NORTHWESTGORJ' project aims to restore two of the degraded habitats of the “Nordul Gorjului de Vest” Natura 2000 site and to establish conservation measures to secure their survival and long-term future. The targeted habitats are Bushes with Pinus mugo and Rhododendron myrtifolium and Castanea sativa woods, listed as habitats 4070* and 9260 respectively in Annex I of the Habitats Directive. Restoration work will involve planting Pinus mugo at habitat 4070* and applying biological and silvicultural methods to eliminate chestnut blight - combined with hygienic and cultural operations. In areas where the fungus has compromised the efficacy of biological control - 25 ha in total - the beneficiary will re-plant the chestnut trees by using seedlings created within the project. Additional measures are expected to create long-term benefits for the biodiversity of the area through the development of appropriate infrastructure for habitat protection and tourism control within the target districts, by which the beneficiary believes it can reduce the negative impacts of tourism and of uncontrolled grazing. The project will try to raise awareness about these issues by increasing public participation in nature-protection decision-making processes and conservation schemes. Expected results The project expects to achieve the following quantifiable results: Restoration of 10ha of destroyed habitat bushes with Pinus mugo and Rhododendron myrtifolium; Restoration of 60ha of chestnut habitat, Castanea sativa woods; 25 ha of totally-destroyed chestnut forest habitat will be restored with new chestnut trees; Infrastructure will be built to help conserve restored habitats - including small-scale structures for visitors; Information material produced; and 10 project events will be hold, including a Chestnut Festival.