Background The site, Semenic – Cheile Carasului, contains some 600 caves (habitat 8310 Caves not open to the public) with a total length of 60 km. Around 3% of these are crossed by underground water flows and are interconnected with 11 sites of habitat 7220 - Petrifying springs with tufa (Cratoneurion). In total, 11 species of bat (chiropters) have been identified at the site. The cave habitats 8310 and the bat communities have been badly damaged as a result of human activity (agriculture, farming, and forestry exploitation). Access to approximately 65 caves had been blocked by local inhabitants. In addition, 55 caves were polluted with household waste, and 10 of these were severely damaged as a result of illegal dumping of animal waste, generating the most severe biological pollution of the region. The intensive forestry operations on almost 20 00ha of forest have resulted in the absence of dried trees in the forest and, consequently, the food sources and refuge places for bats have been much diminished. Research to identify, map and register the cave habitat 8310 has been carried out since 1955 by speleological (caving) organisations – the results have been entered in a database of 650 caves. Conservation actions have included the closing of seven caves with metal doors, their maintenance, and the cleaning of the three caves most visited by tourists. Two educational micro-projects were implemented by the Speleological Association “Explorers” in 1997 and 2003. In 2006–2007, under the auspices of the Phare Twinning Project 2004/IB/EN/ -03 REPA Timisoara, the site’s volunteers and French experts drew up a draft Management Plan for the Natura 2000 site Semenic – Cheile Carasului. Objectives The project’s main objective focused on supporting the conservation of bat species. This would be achieved by rehabilitating habitat 8310 (Caves closed to the public) via restoring the cave entrances, cleaning up pollution of the habitat and of the neighbouring perimeters, and implementing a waste collection system to considerably reduce potential pollution problems in the future. Project targets included: Rehabilitation of 65 polluted/spoiled caves closed to the public (habitat 8310) and elimination of the polluting sources; Preservation of the hibernation, birth and feeding areas for 11 bat species; Development of best practices for cave conservation in nine local communities; Support for the development of better local government and information exchange at a European level; A reduction of some 90% in habitat 8310 pollution; Returning bat species in the area to a favourable conservation status; Increase the bat population by 10% (at birth and hibernation); Installation of 76 information and publicity panels; Editing and distribution of two leaflets and five booklets; Broadcasting on regional TV channels, with a potential audience of 300 000 inhabitants, of two documentaries and two adverts; Sharing information on a website for 10 000 beneficiaries. Results The project exceeded its initial target and successfully managed to clean, de-clog and rehabilitate 84 cavities (caves, potholes and sinkholes) in the targeted area. Many of these cavities were previously used as waste pits and most of them are now protected by a gate and/or a fence. All the rehabilitated caves are part of the 8310 habitat, which is listed in Annex I of the EC Habitats Directive (92/43) and covers 10% of the targeted site surface. 13 bat species were identified as present in the project area (and using the 8310 habitat) before the project started, all of them are listed in Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive. At the end of the project, 81 of the 84 rehabilitated caves were populated by bats, and new bat species were identified as compared to the pre-project period. The long-term impact of the project still depends, to a large extent, on the awareness and responsibility of the local people and local administrations with regard to the protection of habitat 8310, as well as on local waste collection infrastructure (waste deposits being one of the major threats to this habitat and the associated bat species). In order to address this issue in the long term, and raise awareness of the local population about the importance of preserving the 8310 habitat, the beneficiary organised an information campaign. This included several meetings during the project, visits to households and outdoor educational activities with the schools of the main communities in the targeted area. The campaign explained the project issues directly to the local people. Also, the beneficiary produced and distributed a series of relevant publications, as well as two TV advertisements and two documentary movies. The project results and its achievements are particularly useful and relevant for the project area and they address issues that are common to inhabited karst areas in Romania, and probably also in Europe. Thus, the project should have a high demonstration and replication value. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).