The effects of the Natura 2000 legal regime on forest management in Natura 2000 sites have long been a blank spot on the legal map. In 2018, the ECJ commented on fundamental issues in its Bialowieza ruling. Subsequently, two higher administrative courts dealt with forest management plans in special areas of conservation. Not only problems of the Habitats Directive and its implementation had to be clarified but also the question of a necessary public participation in behalf of forest management plans according to the Aarhus Convention. The following article explores and amplifies these issues.