Forests in the Baltic Sea Region are either dominating in the landscape (FIN, NOR, Russia, SWE) or are its important part (POL, Belarus, EST, LV) (annex 1). The long-term goal of the project is to foster good governance in forested landscapes. These landscapes are facing new challenges caused by i.e. globalization, climate change, demands of both more intensive use of natural resources and enhanced protection, international conventions and recreation development. These new challenges override local communities and institutions, cornering them into conflicts, temporary solutions and unsustainable practices. (ann. 2)By using the Model Forest approach (ann. 3, 4) new solutions will be developed and demonstrated as functioning on the ground. New challenges can be met by creating innovative capacity, transnational, cross-sectoral cooperation and empowerment of the societies in the Baltic Sea Region in sustainable governance of forest landscape.The project has two main objectives:1. “To equip the Baltic Sea Region with a network of Baltic Landscapes (BL sites), combining innovative capacity, cooperative partnership and program of activities to deal with new challenges of sustainable development.”The main role of BLs will be to function as long-term landscape laboratories and neutral platforms for cooperation in solving landscape problems. They are also expected to fulfill a gap between strategies and their implementation on the ground. BLs should combine knowledge from international and regional applied research, local experience, administrative and NGOs approaches. A network of partnerships will be built for innovations to be demonstrated on the ground.The BL sites will be established in Belarus (1), FIN (2), POL (2) and SWE (3), (annex 5). The BL sites will be prepared for international cooperation to produce overall results and to disseminate experience locally, nationally and internationally.2. “To define and analyze main landscape problems; to develop innovative approaches and first proposals for policy, planning and management”.Within this objective a new approach to balance values and interests in natural resources in forested landscapes will be developed and demonstrated in practice with special attention on the European Landscape Convention and the Water Framework Directive, economical and social interests. New approaches and components for landscape planning will be developed and proposed. (ann. 6, 7, 8)Network of BL sites will produce:• General analysis of roots of current problems and search for ways to address them,• General agreed approaches towards management aiming to change the situation positively• Proposals for influence of the local, regional and national policies, governance and practice• Impact of EU and international conventions on local level.• Support to the implementation of EUSBSR flagship 9.7• Contribution to policy proposals to CBSS activities on integrated management of natural resources. Achievements: 1. Progress in establishment of BL sites in accordance to MF formula.Beside 3 BL sites already with MF status (Vilhelmina, Bergslagen, Ilomantsi) 2 new sites prepared and applied to IMFN for MF international status with audit procedure on-going (Warta, Helge Å). This way 5 out of 7 BLs achieved MF or MF candidate status. Mazury advanced stage for MF candidate, not yet applied, and Neman procedure delayed due to late approval of project in Belarus. It means that BL sites implemented integrated approach to landscape (fully 5 BLs and partly 2 BLs) based on partnership of stakeholders and sustainability principles. The new coordination demonstrated ability to solve local landscape problems. BL sites formed a network able to draw national and international conclusions on landscape. The BL sites have demonstrated innovative approaches to the landscape issues and are ready to continue the work on landscape management.The BL sites have been positively recognized by local, regional, national and international audience and all of them have plans and are active beyond the frame of the current project. 2. Outputs summarizing experiencesImportant outputs generalizing project results have been developed - Summary of project experiences (report 37); report Innovative tools to support cooperation among stakeholders in Baltic Landscape- a Handbook (report 39) Nordic planning system in forested landscape (report 26) - www.baltic-landscape.net. 3. Outputs with regional solutionsRegional solutions developed by stakeholders gathered and coordinated by BLs have local meaning, but they were based on integrated approach which has been common to all sites and so far does not exist in landscape planning around BSR. Additionally, development of the solutions encountered similar obstacles in the BSR indicating system gaps in landscape planning which should be addressed in larger scale. Below selected localsolutions which would not have been possible without integrated approach:Wełna River management under Natura 2000 (Warta); Water retention in forest (Warta); Horse and other tourist trails system (Mazury); Forest management and water drainage in river valley (Neman); Hunting management proposal (Neman);Integrated approach to river management in northern and southern Sweden (Vilhelmina and Helge å); Planning support for reindeer husbandry (Vilhelmina); FSC certification and small forest owner (Ilomantsi). 4. Outputs with new concepts, tools, analysis – examples: Web site as tool in participatory planning (Mazury); Integrated governance in river basin (Bergslagen); Barriers in Natura 2000 implementation (Warta); Eight essays on forest governance; Potential Water Framework Directive on the ground; Participation in spatial planning (Bergslagen).