Voluntary agri-environmental schemes

• • Managing habitats for the benefits of wildlife can be expensive so landowners may join voluntary governmental schemes which provide the financial support needed
  • agri-environmental schemes recognise that much of the British landscape and its wildlife habitats was produced by farming and can only be conserved by the continuance of appropriate farming practices
  • increasingly intensive farming methods especially since the 1950's have caused a lot of damage often removing the habitats that were most important for wildlife such as hedgerows and hay meadows or by using harmful pesticides
• • These changes took place in response to the need for increased food output to provide national food security
  • in recent years the need to conserve the farming landscape, repair damage and enhance its wildlife value has been more fully appreciated
  • many of these projects involve a lot of effort, financial investment, and possibly reduced incomes for farmers
  • since the improvements they produce will benefit everyone it seems fair that some of the costs should be paid by society through central funding
• • Agri-environmental schemes provide financial support to farmers to reward and encourage environmental beneficial developments
  • a range of agri-environmental schemes have been used, such as Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS) and Countryside Stewardship (CS)
• Aims -

  • conserve wildlife (biodiversity)
  • maintain and enhance landscape quality
  • protect the historic environment
  • promote public access and understanding
  • protect natural resources
• Points awarded for individual features :

  • beetle banks
  • hedgerow
  • field buffer strips
  • wild bird seeds
  • low input grassland
  • protected archeological sites
  • management to reduce soil erosion
  • protection of in-field trees
• Higher payments required for organic farms with schemes like:

  • wildflower rich grass field margins
  • unharvested conservation field headlands for winter bird food
  • restoration of wet grassland for waders and wild fowl
  • water meadow restoration
  • maintenance or restoration of salt marsh, sand dunes, hedgerows, moorland, traditional orchards, ponds and woodlands
  • public access