📋 Tender Overview
Start Date: 01/10/2022
End Date: 31/12/2028
Total Eligible Budget: 23,452,195 €
EU Contribution: 15,712,970 €
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The main objective of the Life2Taiga is to improve important habitat structures towards favourable conservation status of the Annex 1 habitat Western Taiga (9010*), mainly the fire-adapted subtype natural old pine forests, by applying the most natural and efficient management measures for long-term effects on 6,320 hectares of forest habitats of EU importance. The primary action is controlled burning (conducted on 3455 ha), in combination with fire-mimicking measures (conducted on 2864 ha) to increase restoration results on a landscape level in 165 N2000 sites in Sweden and Finland, which harbour 93% of Western Taiga in the EU. The project consortium consists of 19 authorities responsible for managing the N2000 network in Sweden and Finland. Life2Taiga will contribute significant measures towards improving their capacity in restoring Western Taiga as well as towards external stakeholders. The project will develop a platform for mutual collaboration on habitat restoration by providing know-how, demonstration facilities and possibilities for replication among authorities, forestry companies and contractors, as well as conservation professionals in neighbouring countries, aiming at enhancing the status of controlled burning as a safe and efficient nature restoration method, and producing a best practice guideline where knowledge and experiences on methods, techniques and innovations are shared. It will also provide expert knowledge on fire behaviour in forests and collaborate with fire services to advance the technical knowledge on suppressing wildfires in Sweden and Finland. A large effort is put on dissemination and visibility activities, to increase acceptance for controlled burning among landowners, local residents, visitors and the general public by delivering quality information and promote dialogue on the purpose and importance of controlled burning as a high impact and safe restoration management method.
