Sustainable development of local communities in rural area is strongly related to the administration manner of natural resources. The rural communities in the central area of Apuseni Mountains (Romania) need sustainable management of the natural resources in order to increase the living standard and to preserve the cultural landscape. A viable perspective is the sustainable use of semi-natural oligotrophic grasslands.

The semi-natural oligotrophic grasslands with great plant diversity are facing abandonment even if there are programs of intervention in agriculture like APIA (Agency of Payments and Intervention in Agriculture).

Abandonment of grasslands creates a negative situation which will draw a change in land use categories and it will materialise through reforestation of pastures and hay meadows.

Enhance of local interest in oligotrophic grasslands becomes particularly important for the conservation of plant diversity and cultural landscape. Turning to account these habitat types in a sustainable use creates new sources of income for locals, as the main resource (wood) is rapidly decreasing. The economic benefits gained by locals through sustainable harvesting of resources in oligotrophic grasslands are essential for the existence of these habitats. The absence of economic advantages will lead to a major local disinterest with repercussions of ecologic, economic and social nature.

Locals must have primordial part in conservation of habitats because without their contribution, the protective actions aren’t successful.