Background The constant pressure on and deterioration of coastal regions is a big environmental problem. The European Union is working to introduce a coordinated policy for coastal regions based around the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe. Following a recommendation adopted by Council and Parliament in 2002, each EU Member State was to develop a national ICZM strategy in consultation with all coastal stakeholders by early 2006. However, an important issue is that the link between ICZM and the huge areas of forest is not always well understood. ICZM is about managing coastal resources and coastal space by joining up all the different policies which have an effect on coastal regions. In areas such as the Baltic Coast, where woodland is such an important coastal feature, forestry policies are extremely important to coastal management. The benefiting region of the project covers the coastal woodlands in Finland, Sweden and Estonia with the core region being on the South-East coast of Sweden between Norrkoeping and Kalmar. Objectives The ‘coastal woodlands’ project primarily aimed to demonstrate how to include woodlands in ICZM and to formulate specific recommendations for ICZM in forest areas. The project was designed and planned to result in demonstrations of how ICZM can be applied on the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea with focus on coastal woodlands. To inform this work, the project intended to carry out inventories of coastal woodlands within the project area and detailed consultations with the range of coastal stakeholders. It would also carry out a series of study tours to the countries around the Baltic Sea and examine existing knowledge and opinion and current recommendations and legislation from national and international level. In the context of this work, the project aimed to generate cooperation between political, environmental, forestry and NGO stakeholders at the national, regional and local levels in the Baltic Sea region to develop effective and appropriate measures taking into account the various environmental, social and economic needs. Results The project succeeded in demonstrating new and innovative ways to include coastal woodlands in Integrated Coastal Zone Management. It developed comprehensive recommendations for an ICZM strategy connecting forestry and nature protection issues by the Baltic Sea and established an Expert Advisory Group for the Baltic Sea Coastal Woodlands reflecting the need for cross-border co-operation on this issue. The project demonstrated a positive model for local stakeholder participation in protected area management. Through coastal meetings, workshops, study tours to each country and field trips in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia, the project obtained both a good level of interest from stakeholders in the project and a good overview of the problems facing coastal forests and their possible solutions. It further encouraged local engagement through Volunteer Environment Action Grants. Surveys of the cultural, social and environmental value contained within the forests and studies of different forestry management activities led to the development of integrated inventories and maps. This fresh information on forest biodiversity and cultural, social and economic aspects of the coastal woodlands complemented the stakeholder consultations to inform a set of recommendations for ICZM in forests by the Baltic Sea. The formulated recommendations included sectoral recommendations for forestry, but examined and developed many particular links between coastal management, forestry management, agriculture, tourism and development planning. They provide a guideline of how to integrate the protection of coastal areas with the protection of forests and their natural biodiversity together with social, cultural and economic interests. The project demonstrated better use of legislation for nature protection and rural planning. On-going certification of forestry led to the granting of formal protection to more than 1,600 hectares of coastal woodland during the project period. The project was able to develop effective linkages with other ICZM initiatives in the Baltic Sea region, including the regional “Sustainable archipelago” programme and promote more environmentally conscious attitudes toward land use. It disseminated information on the importance of coastal woodland sites across the target region, including through exhibitions and panels located at important coastal sites.