WWF Romania – Maramureț Branch, runs projects that support nature and local communities by promoting functional partnerships for the environment. In 2014, the Natura 2000 Maramureș Cooperation Platform was created by bringing together local authorities, decentralized services, NGOs, cultural institutions, universities, natural resources managers, etc. (https://old.natura2000mm.ro/ ). The N2000 Maramureș Platform developed a sectoral planning process and elaborated the NATURA 2000 MARAMUREȘ 2015-2020 Protected Natural Heritage Development Strategy, the basis of the county’s sectoral policy, linked to the County Territorial Development Strategy (in which it was integrated as a sectoral component).

WWF RO-Maramureș Branch was part of the Steering Committee of the Cooperation Platform and member of the Working Group together with the GeoMMed Association. The citizen engagement tools developed through the project will be tested in the participatory review process of the Maramures Natura 2000 Strategy for the period 2021-2027, generating an Impact Assessment Methodology and the resources needed to achieve the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 on the basis of which the EU Strategy Impact Study will be carried out based on the selected targets and at the level of the representative model area Maramures.

The objectives of the project converge with the initiative of the Maramureș County Council which started in 2021 a process of updating the Sustainable Development Strategy of Maramureș County for the period 2021-2027.

The target groups have expressed their interest to reviewing the Maramureș Natura 2000 Strategy (2021-2027) in order to identify and exploit opportunities for the sustainable use of the County Natural Heritage for the benefit of local communities.