188体育

Duration

5 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid听

拢55 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim听

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 a well-managed, intact grass sward or vegetation throughout the year which:

• covers an historic or archaeological feature
• has minimal bare ground, scrub, bracken or pernicious weeds

The purpose of this is to:

• protect historic and archaeological features
• help maintain and conserve landscape character

Where you can do this action听听听听听

You can do this action on agricultural land that鈥檚:

• identified on your SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) as containing an historic or archaeological feature听鈥� you must get a SFI HEFER before you apply for this action
• an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 鈥楨ligible land types for SFI鈥� in the SFI scheme information)
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code that鈥檚 compatible with the eligible land cover

You cannot do this action on land parcels of more than 15ha above the moorland line.

Eligible land

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Permanent grassland	Permanent grassland	PG01

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land	Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)	Eligible 鈥� you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3鈥�鈥�SSSI 肠辞苍蝉别苍迟鈥� in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)	听
Historic and archaeological features	Eligible 鈥� you must get a SFI HEFER before you apply for this action (read section 5.6鈥�鈥楲and with historic or archaeological features鈥� in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)	听

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action听

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action鈥檚 duration.

What to do听

You must manage the area containing the historic or archaeological feature in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This includes:

• maintaining a continuous grass sward or vegetation cover
• minimising bare ground, scrub, bracken and pernicious weeds

You must not:

• plough, cultivate, re-seed, harrow or roll the grassland
• carry out supplementary feeding on or within around 6 metres (m) of the historic or archaeological feature
• locate vehicle or stock access routes within around 6m of the historic or archaeological feature (existing surfaced tracks can be used)

Before you remove scrub or trees, you must get any relevant consents, permissions or licences. For example, you may need to apply for:

• a felling licence from the Forestry Commission
• a forestry environmental impact assessment (EIA) from the Forestry Commission
• an agriculture EIA 鈥榮creening decision鈥� from Natural England

Read section 10 鈥楪et all necessary regulatory consents, permissions and licences in place鈥� in the SFI scheme information.

When to do it听

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action鈥檚 5-year duration.

How to do it听

It鈥檚 up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

• follow this action鈥檚 requirements 鈥� these are identified by a 鈥榤ust鈥�
• do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim

You may find it helpful to read the 鈥榓dvice to help you do this action鈥�, but it鈥檚 not part of this action鈥檚 requirements.

Evidence to keep听

You must keep evidence to show what you鈥檝e done to complete this action, such as:

• field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
• photographs or other documentation

If it鈥檚 not clear that you鈥檝e done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action听

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they鈥檙e done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read 鈥榃hat to do鈥� and 鈥榃hen to do it鈥� to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme	Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions	OFC1, OFC2, OFM1, OFM2, PRF2, CIPM1, CMOR1, CNUM1, CSAM1	听
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, MOR1, NUM1, SAM1	听
CS options	OR1, OR2, OT1, OT2	听
ES options	No ES revenue options	听
SFI pilot standards	No area-based SFI pilot standards	听

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 鈥楨ligible land in other funding schemes鈥� in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

• SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
• SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
• CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
• the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard

Advice to help you do this action听

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it鈥檚 not part of this action鈥檚 requirements.

Managing historic and archaeological features on grassland

To help you achieve this action鈥檚 aim, you can graze the grassland with livestock or cut it.

To support grazing you may need capital items such as:

• fencing
• gates
• troughs

You can apply for capital grants to help you do this.

You鈥檒l need to check if you need consent to install these items on a scheduled monument. Read section 10 鈥楪et all necessary regulatory consents, permissions and licences in place鈥� of the SFI scheme information for more details.

Grazing grassland

You can manage livestock to avoid:

• overgrazing, which can cause erosion or bare patches
• undergrazing, which can cause scrub to develop

Grazing with smaller and lighter livestock (such as sheep) can:

• reduce the risk of damage to the historic or archaeological feature
• minimise harm on steep slopes or wetter soils

To reduce poaching and erosion, you can:

• reduce livestock numbers or use lighter animals, such as sheep
• manage the way livestock move around historic or archaeological features by relocating gates or water troughs
• remove heavier livestock like cattle in the winter

Cutting grassland

If you manage the grassland by mowing or strimming, try to avoid the ground becoming compacted.

To minimise damage to the historic or archaeological features, you can avoid:

• cutting when the ground is too wet
• using flail mowers
• clipping the features by mowing too close
• mowing on steep earthworks

Using higher cutting heights can avoid scalping. Where possible, try to mow at right-angles on linear earthworks, rather than following the feature.

Adding manure or fertiliser

If you apply manure or fertiliser, try to avoid causing damage to the historic or archaeological feature with the machinery you use.

Wherever possible, keep manure heaps away from the historic or archaeological features as:

• these can create bare patches when removed and encourage weeds
• runoff from stored manure can damage buried historic or archaeological features

Managing plants and scrub

Plants with deep roots can damage underground historic or archaeological features. These include:

• bracken
• nettles
• Japanese knotweed
• scrub and trees

To prevent damage to the historic or archaeological features, you can:

• control vegetations with hand tools and chemicals, instead of mechanical cutting or crushing
• apply chemicals on foot or use light machinery, to avoid ground compaction and disturbance
• cut and treat stems, rather than uproot or dig out plants

Where possible, you can remove scrub or trees to prevent damage to the historic or archaeological features. You鈥檒l usually need a felling licence from the Forestry Commission before you can fell growing trees. Read section 10 鈥楪et all necessary regulatory consents, permissions and licences in place鈥� of the SFI scheme information for more details.