Publication - Consultation paper
Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-2020 Stage 2: Final Proposals
Stage 2 document setting out the final proposals for the new rural development programme period (2014-2020).
Annex C: Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme Options
Provisional list for consultation
Annual Recurrent List
| No. | OPTION | Summary of option |
|---|---|---|
| Arable | ||
| 1 | Wild Bird Seed for Farmland Birds | To benefit farmland birds. Spring sown crops with low-input management will support wild flowers and provide grubs and insects for farmland birds during the summer. During the winter, the crop will provide both cover and seed for wild birds. Available only on land which is not rough grazing. |
| 2 | Forage brassica crops for farmland birds | To benefit farmland birds. Forage brassica crops with low-input management will support native plants and provide grubs and insects for farmland birds. During the winter, the crop will also provide valuable cover for wild birds. Available only on land which is not rough grazing. |
| 3 | Unharvested conservation Headlands for wildlife | To benefit wildlife by leaving headlands in arable fields free of herbicides and insecticides, and leaving the crop unharvested in the ground over the winter. On headlands where these are on land growing a spring or autumn-sown cereal crop. |
| 4 | Retention of winter stubbles for wildlife | To benefit wildlife by retaining stubbles from a cereal crop over the winter. This will allow a varied mixture of plants to develop, providing feeding and cover for insects, birds and small mammals. Available on land sown to cereals. |
| 5 | Stubbles followed by green manure in an arable rotation | To retain stubbles following harvest, and then establish a green manure. This option covers the whole cropping year and will provide food and cover for birds, pollinating insects, and other invertebrates. Land sown to cereals is eligible. |
| 6 | Beetle banks | To benefit a variety of valuable insects such as beetles, spiders and bumblebees by providing tussocky grassy strips to overwinter within large arable fields. Available on land in an arable rotation with an existing or created beetlebank. |
| 7 | Cropped machair | To maintain a traditional agricultural practice which benefits a wide range of flowers, farmland birds and important insects such as bumblebees. Available on ploughable machair or land in fallow from a legacy contract. |
| Grassland Habitats | ||
| 8 | Managed grassland and wetland habitats (includes species rich) | To benefit a wide range of plants, birds, invertebrates (such as Pearl-bordered fritillary, Northern Brown Argus, Marsh Fritillary and the Great Yellow Bumblebee) and amphibians (such as Great Crested newt) on a range of grassland and wet grassland habitats by maintaining appropriate grazing regimes. On land which predominantly comprises or is a patchwork or mosaic of species-rich grassland and/or wetland. |
| 9 | Grazed grassland for waders | To benefit ground nesting birds when they are nesting in grazed pasture, particularly waders such as lapwing and curlew. Available on grassland which is not rough grazing. |
| 10 | Grazed grassland for corncrakes | To benefit corncrakes by providing tall vegetation in spring and throughout the summer to encourage them to nest and raise broods successfully. Available on grassland which contains clumps of tall plants such as iris, nettles, meadowsweet, cow parsley, hogweed, reed sweetgrass, common reed and butterbur. |
| 11 | Management of cover for corncrakes | To benefit corncrakes by providing them with suitable habitat to breed successfully. Available on grassland that contains clumps of suitable tall vegetation such as iris, nettles, cow parsley or managed rush. Also on arable or improved grassland where suitable cover for corncrakes can be created. |
| 12 | Grazed grassland for chough | To benefit chough by providing suitable areas for foraging throughout the year. This Option will provide short cropped grassland, which has not been treated with Avermectin-based products. Grassland must be grazed for all of part of the year by cattle. |
| 13 | Managing rough grassland for hen harriers | To benefit hen harriers by providing suitable areas for their prey. Management will create a dense cover of grass and other plants which will encourage voles and other small mammals. Available on land within 2 km of known hen harrier nest sites. |
| 14 | Mown grassland for waders and wildlife | To benefit ground nesting birds, particularly waders such as lapwing and curlew. Extensively managing hay and silage fields will reduce the risk of damage to birds, their eggs and fledglings from field operations. Leaving an area uncut will also provide cover for the birds. Hares and other small mammals will also benefit. |
| 15 | Mown grassland for corn-buntings | To protect corn buntings by supporting the extensive management of hay and silage fields. This Option will establish areas of undisturbed cover suitable for Corn Buntings to nest and raise broods. Available on grassland which is not rough grazing. |
| 16 | Mown grassland for corncrakes | To benefit corncrake by supporting the extensive management of hay and silage fields. Delaying mowing and will reduce the risk of causing damage from field operations to the birds, their eggs and fledglings. Leaving an area uncut will also provide cover for the birds. |
| 17 | Mown grassland for chough | To benefit chough by providing suitable areas for the birds to forage. Chough require areas of short grazed grassland to access the insects they feed upon. Delaying shutting off silage or hay fields and cutting them later maximises the amount of spring-grazed pasture for feeding chicks and then provides later aftermath for the fledglings. |
| Water, Bogs And Fens | ||
| 18 | Management of lowland raised bogs | To benefit the condition of lowland raised bogs and lowland intermediate bogs by supporting appropriate management and grazing. Ditch blocking and scrub control are supported as capital items. |
| 19 | Buffer areas for lowland raised bogs and fens | To benefit lowland raised bogs specifically and to help restore their condition by appropriate management of the land immediately adjacent to the bog. |
| 20 | Converting arable at risk of flooding or erosion to grassland | To benefit soils, water quality, biodiversity and climate change by converting areas within arable fields that are prone to flooding, run-off and/or soil erosion to low-input grassland. |
| 21 | Spring cropping | To improve water quality. Changing from winter to spring cropping in high risk areas improves water quality by reducing soil erosion and the loss of nutrients. |
| 22 | Soil and/or Cultivation Management | To improve water and soil quality, with measures including soil testing, coupled with a fertiliser recommendation system, and Tramline management by roughening the soil within the tramline helps control run-off, soil erosion and the loss of nutrients from fields. |
| 23 | Water margins and semi-natural riparian areas | To protect water margins from erosion and reduce diffuse pollution, encouraging the development of waterside vegetation that stabilises the banks, enhances biodiversity and contributes to habitat networks. |
| 24 | Arable buffers | To protect watercourses and improve water quality on arable land within priority catchments by slowing the flow of water run-off and intercepting pollutants. Also to provide and connect habitat for wildlife. These areas can be strips beside watercourses, within fields or corners of fields. |
| 25 | Restoration of intertidal habitats | To benefit natural flood management in specific areas to contribute to flood risk management |
| 26 | Flood plain management | To create and maintain a mosaic of wash lands and dry lands by allowing the watercourse to overflow onto its natural flood plain. |
| Upland & Moorland Management | ||
| 27 | Moorland management | To support the implementation of a plan for the management of moorland with a view to maintaining, or where necessary improving their environmental condition. A payment is made for a basic level of management specified by the plan. This can be augmented by support for more specialised management to meet specific environmental objectives. |
| 28 | Lowland and coastal heath | To benefit the habitats and species associated with eligible heathland, including Coastal heath, serpentine heath, special interest heath and lowland heath. |
| 29 | Stock Disposal | To maintain or improve the condition of moorland by reducing the number of sheep. |
| 30 | Away or off-wintering sheep | To improve the condition of moorland by away or off-wintering sheep. |
| 31 | Summer Cattle Grazing | To maintain or improve the quality of the moorland habitat by grazing with cattle during the summer. |
| 32 | Management of tall herb vegetation | To restore, maintain or enhance the condition and extent of tall herb habitats. |
| 33 | Collaborative upland habitat management plan | To support the facilitated preparation of a collaborative upland habitat management plan on designated sites; specifically to support collaboration. |
| 34 | Predator control | To protect ground-nesting birds such as waders, capercaillie and black grouse, which are vulnerable to predation, through the control of crows, foxes, stoats and weasels. |
| Woodland | ||
| 35 | Ancient Woodland pasture | To benefit ancient woodland pasture by maintaining veteran trees and encouraging an appropriate pattern of regeneration by managing grazing of the open pasture beneath the trees. The option must be undertaken in conjunction with a suitable grassland management option or the lowland and coastal heath option. |
| 36 | Managing scrub of particular conservation value | To benefit native scrub and shrubs by supporting appropriate grazing and management. Restricting or removing grazing pressure at certain times of the year will help maintain a balance between native scrub and shrubs and open areas. This will also benefit the associated flora and fauna, help protect soils and store carbon |
| 37 | Hedgerow restoration and management | To benefit wildlife by maintaining and managing hedges as a wildlife habitat and as a feature in the landscape which helps connect habitats and helps wildlife to move easily from one habitat to another. |
| Crofting | ||
| 38 | Cattle Management on Small Units | To encourage small units to keep cattle of traditional or native breeds on in-bye land. These breeds are better adapted to thrive on land with coarser vegetation and in colder, wetter conditions. The option must be undertaken in conjunction with the option Conservation Management for Small Units. |
| 39 | Conservation management for small units | To maintain and enhance the distinctive landscape and wildlife of crofting communities and small scale farming systems by encouraging traditional livestock husbandry and cropping on in-bye land. |
| Organics | ||
| 40 | Conversion | To convert to organic farming methods and to encourage the expansion of organic production in Scotland in order to deliver environmental benefits. Beneficiaries must be registered with an approved Organic Certification Body for the full length of the contract. |
| 41 | Maintenance | To maintain organic farming methods and to encourage the continued expansion of organic production in Scotland in order to deliver environmental benefits. Beneficiaries must be registered with an approved Organic Certification Body for the full length of the contract. |
Standard Cost Capital Items
| Primary treatment of bracken |
| Follow up treatment of bracken |
| Heather Restoration |
| Heather swiping in black grouse core areas |
| Heather track creation |
| Muirburn and heather cutting |
| Supplementary food provision for raptors - hen harriers/golden eagles |
| Habitat Grazing Management |
| Open range deer management to enhance the natural heritage |
| Peat dam |
| Ditch blocking with plastic piling dams - small/medium/large |
| Underdrain (or culvert) breaking |
| Matting to prevent damage to bogs |
| Reinforced dams on bogs |
| Move/realign ditches in buffer areas adjacent to bogs |
| Manual eradication of rhododendron on agricultural land - light/medium/difficult |
| Mechanised eradication of rhododendron on agricultural land - light/medium/difficult |
| Eradication of scrub- light/medium/heavy |
| Removal from site of scrub- light/medium/heavy |
| Follow up treatment for scrub control |
| INNS - Plant control - Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam |
| Stock fence |
| Enhancing/modifying a stock fence (in black grouse and capercaillie core areas) |
| Upgrading stock to deer fence |
| Scare or temporary fencing |
| Rabbit proofing- existing or new stock/deer fence |
| Deer fence |
| Enhancing/modifying a deer fence (in black grouse and capercaillie core areas) |
| Conversion of deer fence to stock fence (in black grouse and capercaillie core areas) |
| Fence removal |
| Gate for stock fence |
| Gate for deer fence |
| Kissing gate/self-closing gate for non-vehicular access |
| Stile |
| Water gates |
| Post and rail fence |
| Building/restoring drystone or flagstone dykes |
| Provision of water troughs to replace traditional watering points |
| Installation of water supply pipe to water trough or pasture pump |
| Water trough pump: cattle operated pasture or nose pump |
| Sand blow fencing |
| Planting of dune grasses |
| Small scale tree and shrub planting (on a site not exceeding 0.25ha) |
| Planting or re-planting of hedge |
| Coppicing of hedge |
| Laying of hedge |
| Vole guard/small tree protector |
| Grassland creation either for plant diversity or for invertebrates |
| Grassland restoration |
| Creation of cover for corncrakes |
| Creation of grassland for hen harriers |
| Creation of grass margin |
| Creation of beetle bank |
| Management of rush Pasture |
| Stock bridge for habitat management |
| Creation or restoration of pond |
| Wader scrapes |
| Creation of wetland |
| Chough nest shelters |
| Use of seaweed as a fertiliser on cropped machair |
Water Quality Capital Items
| Steading Based Options |
| Roof drainage |
| Underground clean water drainage |
| Roofing of storage/handling areas |
| Slurry storage covers |
| Concrete apron remediation |
| Underground drainage pipework |
| Surface drainage interception |
| Slurry storage Above ground Tanks |
| Slurry transfer pump |
| Slurry Reception Tanks |
| Slurry storage Lined Lagoons |
| Constructed Farm Wetland |
| Swales |
| Retention Pond |
| Concrete bunded area |
| Biobed |
| Biofilter |
| Drip trays/portable bunds |
| Field Based Options |
| Subsoiling tramlines |
| Slurry application (contractor) |
| Soil testing |
| Fencing |
| Alternative Watering i Abstraction ii Pumped with Solar iii Pumped with external power supply iv Stock powered v Water Powered vi Gravity Supplied vii Mains supplied Trough connection |
| Field Bases (troughs and gates) |
| Field Gate Relocation |
| Livestock field access tracks |
| Livestock Crossings |
| Sediment Traps and Bunds i - Bunds ii - Swales iii - Retention Ponds iv - Constructed Wetland v - In ditch Wetlands |
Contact
Email: Julie Brown
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