Issued Jointly by Defra & The Natural England Partnership

Good news for farmers - new management options added to Environmental Stewardship

Farmers were today given more opportunities to be rewarded for the environmental management of their land with the launch of four new Environmental Stewardship (ES) options.

The new options are:-

Entry Level, Organic Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship -

• Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings – maintaining and protecting these valuable local landscape and historic features.
• Mixed stocking (extended to Less Favoured Areas (LFAs)) – maintaining effective grazing of LFA grassland to provide breeding and feeding habitats for farmland birds.

Higher Level Stewardship -

• Cattle grazing supplement – promoting grazing by cattle to benefit plants, invertebrates and farmland birds.
• Native breeds at risk grazing supplement – promoting more wide-spread use of native breeds to graze difficult terrain to achieve conservation objectives.

Speaking at the Royal Show, Sustainable Farming Minister Lord Rooker said:

“I am delighted with the success of Environmental Stewardship so far. With over 20,000 agreements, covering 3 million hectares, already in place, this means that over 30% of eligible agricultural land in England is now under some form of funded environmental management under the new scheme. These new options will provide opportunities for many other land managers to qualify for Environmental Stewardship agreements.

“In particular, the option for maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings and the extension of the mixed stocking option to the Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) should provide an extra boost to uptake of the scheme in the English uplands. This is also the first time that we have provided a payment for native breeds at risk and it demonstrates the Government’s desire to conserve the genetic heritage of our traditional breeds.

“I am sure that these new options will not only encourage greater participation in Environmental Stewardship but also add significantly to the protection and enhancement of the English countryside.”

Natural England Chief Executive designate Helen Phillips said:

“A high proportion of farmers have some kind of traditional farm building on their land and this new option should help farmers qualify for the scheme and thereby help meet the cost of conserving these important features of the rural landscape for future generations.

“The new supplements in Higher Level Stewardship will assist the maintenance of cattle grazing in the uplands and on grazing marshes. Grazing with cattle is essential to improve the ecological condition of grassland and improve the habitat for breeding birds. In certain areas it is also necessary to use native breeds at risk such as the Belted Galloway or Longhorn cattle as they have been specially adapted over time to graze high value habitats.”

Existing ELS and OELS agreement holders will not be able to amend their agreements to include these new options, although it may be possible to introduce greater flexibility on amendments to Entry Level agreements under the new Rural Development Programme which applies from 2007. Existing HLS agreement holders will be able to add the new options where appropriate, with effect from the first anniversary of their agreement start date.

Notes to editors

1. The new Environmental Stewardship options and points allocations / payment rates are as follows:

   • Maintenance of traditional farm buildings -

     • ELS/OELS - 2 points per square metre of ground floor area.

     • HLS - £2 per square metre of ground floor area.

   • Mixed stocking (extended to LFAs) -

     • ELS/OELS - 8 points per hectare.

     • HLS - £8 per hectare.

   • Cattle grazing supplement - up to £35 per hectare.

   • Native breeds at risk supplement - up to £70 per hectare. The approved list of native breeds at risk is attached.

2. The maintenance of traditional farm buildings and mixed stocking (extended to LFAs) options will be available from 3 July. The cattle grazing and native breeds at risk supplements will be available for HLS agreements which start from 1 August. If you have already applied for HLS but not yet reached an agreement, your RDS Adviser will talk to you about the new options during the application processing stage.

3. Environmental Stewardship (ES) was launched on 3 March 2005. It is composed of three elements:

   • Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), a whole farm scheme which aims to encourage farmers and land managers across England to deliver simple but effective environmental management;

   • Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) which is open to farmers who manage all or part of their land organically;

   • Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) which, when combined with ELS or OELS options, aims to deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority areas.

4. Environmental Stewardship builds on the acknowledged successes of the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Organic Farming Schemes, which are now closed to new applicants. The primary objectives of ES are to:

   • Conserve wildlife (biodiversity)

   • Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character

   • Protect the historic environment and natural resources

   • Promote public access and understanding of the countryside

   • Natural resource protection.

5. Environmental Stewardship is one of the schemes which operate under the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). The other schemes are:-

   • Hill Farm Allowance (supporting sustainable farming in the English hills).

   • English Woodland Grant Scheme (a new scheme replacing the Woodland Grant and Farm Woodland Premium Schemes, which are now closed to new applicants). The scheme aims to sustain and increase the public benefits given by existing woodlands and to help create new woodlands to deliver additional public benefit.

   • Energy Crops Scheme (encouraging renewable energy production).

   • Rural Enterprise Scheme (supporting a diversified and enterprising rural economy).

   • Vocational Training Scheme (improving occupational skills of farmers).

   • Processing and Marketing Grant (improving agricultural processing and marketing infrastructure).

6. Further information about Environmental Stewardship and other schemes within the ERDP are available from your local Rural Development Service (RDS) office. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/regions/default.htm

7. Under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act, English Nature, the Rural Development Service and the Countryside Agency’s Landscape, Access and Recreation Division are working towards integration as a single body: Natural England. It will work for people, places and nature with responsibility for enhancing biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public wellbeing, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed - so they can be enjoyed now and for future generations.

English Nature is the independent Government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England.

The Rural Development Service is the largest deliverer of the ERDP and a range of advisory and regulatory rural services. With the administration of a multi-million pound grant budget for schemes which support land management, rural businesses and rural communities, the RDS is the single largest organisation working for the benefit of rural areas in England.

The Countryside Agency’s Landscape, Access and Recreation Division aims to help everyone respect, protect and enjoy the countryside – protecting natural landscapes; and encouraging access to, enjoyment of and sustainable management and use of the countryside.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 2006
APPROVED LIST OF NATIVE BREEDS AT RISK

1. “Orig” means pedigree-registered animals listed as being part of an ‘Original Population’ of that breed, usually in a separate ‘closed’ sub-register of the breed society’s herdbook.

2. “Island” means pedigree-registered animals listed as being part of the ‘Island’ population of that breed, usually in a separate ‘closed’ sub-register of the breed society’s herdbook.

3. “Section A semi-feral” refers to a particular and separately identified sub-population of pedigree-registered animals within this breed’s studbook. Section A of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society’s studbook lists Welsh Mountain ponies whose core registration documents, passports and entries in the National Equine Database are likely to be identified as ‘s’ to indicate that they are semi-feral and are within the Pony Improvement Scheme for this breed.

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