Countryside stewardship

Question 1

How many tiers are there in CSS?

Answer 1

2, Mid and Higher

Question 2

Explain the basics of CSS?

Answer 2

• Parcel based, not whole farm
• Competitive, scored against others nationally

Question 3

How do you apply?

Answer 3

Apply online for Mid tier application pack.

Some Wildlife offers can also be made online.

Question 4

What is Higher Tier for?

Answer 4

Land with more complex management requirements, tailored to individual sites.

All woodland grants are higher tier

Question 5

What other grants does CSS offer?

Answer 5

Hedgerow and boundary Water Capital items. These can be incorporated into Mid & Higher tier or can be standalone.

Question 6

Why was double funding prevented?

Answer 6

As previously farmers could be paid twice under EFAs for their BPS and CSS for the same activity. Hedgerows can still be included in both as there is no overlap in the management requirements.

Question 7

What is the main priority of the Mid Tier?

Answer 7

To protect and enhance the natural environment

Question 8

What grants are available for Mid Tier?

Answer 8

Management options (payments paid every year for 5 years) Capital items (2 year grants for specific works)

Question 9

You can access Mid Tier grants through 2 routes, what are they?

Answer 9

• Mid Tier - competitive, used for a range of management options and capital grants to help support local environment.
• The Wildlife Offers - non competitive, management options to focus on providing habitat for farm wildlife.

Question 10

What management options are available for Mid Tier?

Answer 10

• Manage land for the benefit of local wildlife (pollen for insects, nesting and winter feed habitats for birds)
• Support local priority habitats
• Manage flood risk
• Convert and manage land to organic

Question 11

What grant options are available for Mid Tier?

Answer 11

• Capital grants (eg manage & maintain boundaries (hedges, fences etc)
• Manage water pollution and improve water quality (alternative drinking souses, managing yards to reduce soil erosion etc)
• Water capital grant (need to be in a water quality priority area)
• Organic management conversion
• Choosing Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package

Question 12

Can you enter the same land for CSS as BPS?

Answer 12

Yes, although no double funding. Some land that is ineligible for BPS may be eligible for CSS (eg ponds and scrub)

Question 13

What are the four wildlife offers?

Answer 13

1. Arable offer
2. Lowland grazing offer
3. Mixed farming offer
4. Upland offer

Question 14

Tell me about the arable offer?

Answer 14

• Land use must be arable of temporary grassland for the year that you apply
• There are 11 options divided into 3 categories
• Minimum number of options is 3, but must enter at least 3% of your agreement land into the offer. (examples include: nectar flower Mix, Winter bird food, Skylark plots)

Question 15

Tell me about the lowland grazing offer?

Answer 15

• Must be temporary or permanent grazing.
• Only hedgerows from arable fields can be included.
• There are 7 options divided into 3 categories. Minimum number of options is 2, but must enter at least 3% of your agreement land into the offer.

Question 16

Tell me about the upland offer?

Answer 16

• Must be temporary or permanent grazing.
• All land must be Severely Disadvantaged Area (SDA).
• There are 8 options divided into 2 categories.
• Minimum number of options is 3.

Question 17

Tell me about the mixed farming offer?

Answer 17

Must be arable, temporary or permanent grazing.

Only hedgerows from arable fields can be included.

There are 14 options divided into 3 categories.

Minimum number of options is 3, but must enter at least 3% of your agreement land into the offer.

Question 18

Can you apply for the Wildlife offers online?

Answer 18

Only the arable offer

Question 19

What is going to replace CSS and BPS?

Answer 19

Environmental Land Management System (ELMs)

Question 20

When will ELMs be introduced?

Answer 20

They are being trailed between 2021 to 2024, with direct payments to farmers gradually being phased out over a 7 year period.

Question 21

What will ELMs pay farmers for?

Answer 21

Environmental outcomes they deliver, often working in collaboration with other farmers

Question 22

Tell me about farm clusters?

Answer 22

There is only so much that an individual, acting in isolation, can do on his or her own farm. By working together, helped by a Conservation Advisor, farmers and land managers can work more cohesively together in their locality, enabling them to collectively deliver greater benefits for soil, water and wildlife at a landscape scale. There are lots of examples of this type of approach to landscape scale conservation. Farmer clusters are designed to start life at the farmer level, under the guidance of a lead farmer and a trusted conservation advisor.

The work is often supplemented by existing agri-environment schemes. Several projects have been set up with private sources of funding whereas the majority have applied for the Natural England Facilitation Fund.

Question 23

What does the facilitator fund cover?

Answer 23

Deliver landscape-scale enviornmental benefits over a three year period.

Fund supports people and organisations that bring farmers, foresters, and other land managers together to improve the local natural environment at a landscape scale. Funding will be awarded to successful applications through a competitive process.

Question 24

What is the role of the facilitator?

Answer 24

• Develop cooperation amongst these land managers;
• Agree with the group members the CS priorities
• Help the group members interpret the CS statements of priorities and associated guidance so that they submit individual but complementary CS applications for land management and capital items or apply for adjustments to existing Environmental Stewardship or English Woodland Grant agreements where the regulations permit
• Where these applications are made, endorse these to show that they are consistent with the group’s agreed objectives

Question 25

Whats the minimum land area to form a cluster?

Answer 25

2,000 hectares, spread over at least 4 seperate holdings