Background Before starting this project, the development of the Natura 2000 network in this region – or elsewhere in France - was not as successful as was initially hoped. There was a tendency amongst stakeholders to reject it both because of a lack of knowledge of the overall objectives and because of misunderstandings concerning the tools to be used to protect the network. In particular, people seemed to fear a stifling of economic activities for the sake of environmental protection. At the same time, several examples of ongoing habitat deterioration - such as the overgrowth with shrubs of high mountain pastures or wetlands - showed how urgent it was to set up efficient programmes to manage Natura 2000 sites. Objectives This LIFE project aimed at integrating nature conservation and Natura 2000 into existing rural development policies related to pastoralism, forestry, water resource management and tourism in the Rhône-Alpes Region. It thus sought not only to provide immediate solutions to nature conservation challenges in the region but also to improve long-term participation in and support for the Natura 2000 network. It specifically aimed to carry out actions through local authorities that would demonstrate how species and habitats can be protected efficiently, without blocking the overall development of the targeted sites. Six specific threats were to be tackled: 1. non-acceptance of the Natura 2000 network among local actors 2. non-inclusion of the Natura 2000 network in local authority policies for territorial development 3. closing of open habitats by lack of maintenance 4. damage to habitats due to management based on inappropriate scales in time and space 5. damage to habitats through excessive or unregulated use 6. damage to habitats through water pollution. The project selected 16 sites from the Natura 2000 Network in Rhône-Alpes to offer a wide range of situations (eg different degrees of acceptance/rejection of Natura 2000, different habitat types, different socio-economic contexts, ...) in which to demonstrate the compatibility of and synergies between environmental and economic objectives. Results This project successfully changed attitudes towards environmental protection and the Natura 2000 network in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. It implemented around 50 specific conservation actions, which simultaneously contributed to local development strategies in the 16 pilot sites. The project promoted pastoral activity to help preserve grassland habitats in the mountains. It implemented demonstration restoration work that restored a total of 75 ha of grassland habitats. It conducted consultations with Alpine livestock farmers and introduced contract-based management through 11 ‘Alpine pasture’ contracts. A technical workshop attended by over 100 participants was held and a technical guide produced. To maintain forestry activities that help preserve Natura 2000 species and habitats in mountain forests, the project worked to improve coordination and complementarity between bodies and strategies focusing on forest management and nature conservation. Natura 2000 contracts were put in place amounting to 1M€ additional funding to support activities to encourage biodiversity. Around 50 ha of woodland habitat was restored and 17.5 ha of forested plots opened to encourage orchids. Significant efforts were put into raising awareness on the economic benefits of improved environmental performance through meetings, leaflets and information boards. The project promoted long-term water management solutions that integrate habitat preservation, especially in wetlands. Studies of pollution risks and land use were carried out before restoration was undertaken of 24 ha of peat bogs and 28 ha of ponds and marshland. To help raise public awareness of the importance of water resources and their associated habitats, a peat garden was designed and discovery trails established. Over 2 000 children and 400 adults took part in related educational activities. The project worked to reconcile tourism and habitat protection in delicate areas. It analysed tourist activity and on-site amenities, developing solutions to reduce the impact of visitors and restore habitats degraded by over- or unregulated use. It demonstrated how tourism can be encouraged, whilst at the same time better channelled and informed to reduce its impact on the natural environment. With these actions and through specific efforts with local decision-makers, the LIFE project allowed a better integration of Natura 2000 in local rural development policies in Rhône-Alpes. Many of the practical tools will provide direct conservation benefits over around 185 ha of habitat, whilst also providing demonstration value for similar measures elsewhere. Just as important however was their sustained effort to communicate Natura 2000 to local populations and stakeholders. This was a key factor in the project's success in increasing understanding that the Natura 2000 network can also be good for the local economy. This was confirmed by a project survey. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section). An ex-post follow up visit was carried out by the LIFE external monitoring team in 2016, eight years after the project closed. This concluded that the LIFE project had succeeded in integrating Natura 2000 into the existing Rural Development Programme (RDP), for grazing, forestry, water resource management and tourism, at the local level in the Rhône-Alpes; and that the 16 Natura 2000 sites targeted still benefit because many of the 50 concrete conservation actions implemented during the project continue to be pursued or enhanced. The project’s consultation and communication work involved gathering together as many stakeholders as possible (e.g. in 8 regional and 60 local steering committees), and its DOCOBs (documents of objectives for the Natura 2000 network sites) and management plans continue to be used (e.g. as baseline studies) to help in the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives. A wide array of funding mechanisms have been implemented to sustain the different actions initiated during the project, especially through Natura 2000 contracts and agri-environmental measures financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF) under the RDP, the latter being particularly relevant for sites where agricultural land is registered under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In some cases, the project’s inventories have helped the Natura 2000 sites benefit from other conservation measures, such as those of the ENS (espace naturel sensible), RNR (réserve naturelle nationale) or RNN (réserve naturelle régionale). Most (91%) of the Natura 2000 sites are still making use of the LIFE project’s dissemination tools, which include information boards, brochures and nature guides. A survey conducted at the end of the LIFE project showed a positive change in perception of Natura 2000. However, the ex-post noted that it is very difficult to assess whether or not the conservation status of the different sites has improved after only 10 years.