PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The grassy limestone hills of the Meuse region in Belgium, locally called 'tiennes', are rich in flora and fauna, particularly orchids and insects. This dry limestone grassland bears witness to the hay pasture practice of former times. Without management, these sites return to woodland and the characteristic heliophilic species (and their associated fauna) accordingly regress. Yet in many of those places where farming still continues on these hills, the abundance of flora and fauna species characteristic of the tiennes has been lost because of the intensification of land use. Recently, excessive tourist activity on the sites, and the heavy trampling this can mean, have proved disastrous to the flora in places. Already some decades ago, the beneficiary, NGO Ardenne et Gaume, signed management agreements with the municipalities and the Walloon Region, with a view to safeguard the biological interest of several sites. In partnership with other associations, it managed to persuade local authorities, farmers and foresters to give better protection to these sites. Nevertheless, several of them were still not benefiting from adequate management.
OBJECTIVES
The project aimed at restoring and adequately managing about thirty sites extending over an area of about 330 ha. Of primary concern would be dry limestone grassland sites rich in orchids. Nevertheless, other types of habitat on Annex I of the Habitat Directive were also among the project objectives: stable formations of Buxus sempervirens or Juniperus communis, karst grassland, etc. There was already a mass of information on these sites and an inventory would give an even more detailed perspective on conservation status, making it easier to prepare management plans and create a tool for monitoring changes in the biological quality of the sites. Some 40 ha of private land not yet under ecologically appropriate management would be acquired and shrub vegetation was to be cleared to stimulate the re-growth of flora and fauna characteristic of limestone grassland. For management by grazing, a mobile flock would be established and cared for by a shepherd. If necessary, certain plant associations would be managed by different mowing techniques. At sites near tourist centres such as Han-sur-Lesse, nature discovery trails would be laid out.
RESULTS
The project aimed to restore dry calcareous grasslands in the districts of Rochefort and Tellin (Wallonia). It ran into considerable difficulties with land purchase, so that the beneficiary proposed an alternative strategy to restore calcareous grasslands, through a progressive conversion of dense planted pine forests into cleared areas, thereby increasing the overall amount of hectares being restored. The restored areas would eventually achieve the Annex I grassland habitat status for which their sites had been designated under Natura 2000. An additional clause was granted by the Commission to allow this alternative to proceed. All the actions foreseen under this additional clause were indeed implemented: - Inventories were elaborated and the data was used for Natura 2000 . The bassin de Lesse de Chanly in Villers de Lesse has been chosen as pilot area for permanent monitoring. - Management plans were drawn up, and their official approval by the competent authorities was under way at project end. - 2 ha land was bought. - Most of the budget was used to restore calcareous grasslands. Either by removal of deciduous succession shrubs (21.8 ha), or by removal of scrub under pine forests and felling some of the pine trees (24.64 ha). 2 ha of pine forest was totally cleared. The beneficiary was thus able to restore a total of 48.44 ha of grasslands. The restoration objectives were attained thanks to the excellent parnership between all parties concerned. - Land management equipment was purchased, including two pick-up vehicles. - A flock of 180 sheep was built up, of which 73 were financed through LIFE. - Fixed fences were installed around 10.60 ha and 76.85 ha were grazed, exceeding the expected results. For the sites where grazing was not possible, 23.13 ha were mowed with machinery. - The project contributed towards the construction of a stable, necessary for the maintenance of the ovine flock allowing effective grazing management. The building would be operational by the winter of 2005. - The maintenance of extensive grazing was sucessful. The return to this ancestral tradition was an innovative action locally, placing agriculture at the service of nature reserves and nature conservation bringing benefit to farmers. The grazing management was awarded to a farmer and constitutes the main management tool. It can be carried out all year on the sites. A grazing plan has been established and to ensure sustainability, the beneficiary drafted a five-year convention between the farmer and itself. This convention is the result of negotiations with the Walloon Region which granted a complementary subsidy to Ardenne et Gaume in parallel to the LIFE project. - The beneficiary used infrastructure of the Walloon Region to promote the conservation and management of calcareous grasslands. It also contacted the tourism authorities of Rochefort to promote the results of the LIFE project for the tourist sector. A didactic leaflet presenting 3 nature trails focusing on grasslands was published in 980 copies and distributed to the appropriate tourism operators in the district. - Several management activities, guided visits, information sessions, field visits and exhibitions contributed to raising the interest of the local population. The LIFE project did become quite visible in the area; inhabitants were very interested in following the transhumance of the sheep from one site to another, crossing the villages. The beneficiary organised international seminars and a joint colloquium with a neighbouring LIFE project (LIFE02NAT/B/008593 Haute Meuse), presenting the experience and results achieved.
