The project involves two types of forest protection activities.

Firstly, the project creates actions plans for wet and dry forest habitat types to develop suitable management approach, give overview about different actions needed to improve their conservation status and prioritize the concrete conservation interventions on country scale.

Action plans are focused on Natura 2000 areas but also they could be applicable to maintaining a certain forest habitat types across Estonia. Based on the action plans 3500 ha wet forest and 500 ha dry forest will be restored, and their conditions will be monitored.

In addition, 500 ha forest will be purchased from private owners for the purposes of nature protection.

The second forest related activity is focused for measures undertaken by private forest owners in Natura 2000 areas.

In Estonia, Natura 2000 private forest support has been paid since 2008, however by now it is outdated and many problems in terms of compensation rates, restrictions, etc. have occurred. Moreover, current support is a passive support to compensate loss of income but in some forest areas active measures are needed to improve the status of the forest habitats.

The project is analyzing and updating Natura 2000 compensation measures as well as developing active forest measures to improve the conservation status of forest habitats and species in protected areas belonging to private owners.