Detailed guide on using the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for hedgerow management, covering eligibility, payment rates for specific actions (assessment, management, and tree maintenance), and how to combine SFI with other grant schemes for comprehensive support.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is a key component of the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes designed to support sustainable land management practices across England. Among the various options available within SFI, specific actions are aimed at maintaining and enhancing hedgerows—a critical feature of the English landscape. Whether you are looking to assess the current condition of your hedgerows, implement management practices, or establish new hedgerow trees, the SFI provides financial support and guidance to help landowners achieve these goals.
This article will provide an in-depth look at the SFI options related to hedgerows, covering eligibility, payment rates, and reporting requirements to help landowners navigate these opportunities effectively.
SFI Hedgerow Options Overview
Hedgerows are integral to promoting biodiversity, connecting habitats, and supporting sustainable farming practices. The SFI includes three specific hedgerow-related actions designed to encourage landowners to manage, monitor, and maintain healthy hedgerows:
CHRW1: Assess and Record Hedgerow Condition
This action focuses on assessing and recording the condition of hedgerows to ensure they are managed appropriately and continue to support wildlife and landscape character.
- What it involves:
Participants are required to assess the condition of their hedgerows and record key attributes, such as the presence of gaps, height, density, and overall health. This information helps guide future management decisions. - Payment rate:
£5 per 100 metres for one side of the hedgerow. - Eligibility:
Available to all eligible landowners with hedgerows on their land. Participants must demonstrate that they will use the recorded information to implement effective management strategies. - Reporting requirements:
Participants must provide a report on the condition of their hedgerows, including photographic evidence and a written summary of findings. This report will inform future hedgerow management plans.
CHRW2: Manage Hedgerows
This action supports traditional hedgerow management practices, such as trimming, shaping, and cutting, to promote healthy, dense growth that benefits wildlife.
- What it involves:
Participants commit to managing their hedgerows by carrying out activities like rotational cutting and maintaining a variety of heights and widths. These practices help create structurally diverse hedgerows that provide optimal habitats for different species. - Payment rate:
£13 per 100 metres for one side of the hedgerow. - Eligibility:
Landowners must demonstrate that their hedgerow management aligns with biodiversity goals, such as providing habitat for nesting birds or maintaining food sources for pollinators. - Reporting requirements:
Annual records of management activities, including dates and types of cuts performed, need to be maintained. Participants may also need to provide evidence that cutting was carried out in a wildlife-friendly manner (e.g., avoiding bird nesting season).
CHRW3: Maintain or Establish Hedgerow Trees
This option supports the establishment of new hedgerow trees or the maintenance of existing ones, contributing to landscape character and connectivity for wildlife.
- What it involves:
Landowners plant new hedgerow trees at appropriate intervals or carry out maintenance work on existing trees to ensure they remain healthy and well-integrated within the hedgerow. - Payment rate:
£10 per 100 metres for both sides of the hedgerow. - Eligibility:
Suitable for landowners with existing hedgerow trees or those wishing to introduce new trees to enhance the biodiversity value of their hedgerows. - Reporting requirements:
Participants must provide records of tree planting, including species type, location, and maintenance activities. Regular monitoring and reporting on tree health may also be required.
Implementing SFI Hedgerow Options Alongside Other Funding Schemes
One of the advantages of SFI is its flexibility, allowing participants to combine it with other schemes like the Countryside Stewardship or Tree Health Pilot Scheme. By aligning SFI actions with additional grants, landowners can maximise financial support and achieve multiple objectives, such as enhancing biodiversity while improving hedgerow health.
How to Integrate SFI with Countryside Stewardship
The Countryside Stewardship scheme offers capital grants for hedgerow planting, gapping up, laying, and coppicing. By using SFI for ongoing management and condition assessments, landowners can complement these capital investments.
- Example: A landowner could use Countryside Stewardship funding to plant new hedgerows and then apply for SFI support (CHRW1 and CHRW2) to monitor and manage these hedgerows over the long term. This ensures continued maintenance and the development of dense, wildlife-friendly hedgerows.
Combining SFI with the Tree Health Pilot Scheme
If hedgerow trees are affected by diseases like ash dieback or pests like oak processionary moth, the Tree Health Pilot Scheme can provide financial support for felling and replanting, while SFI can be used to support the establishment and maintenance of new trees.
- Example: A farmer with ash trees affected by ash dieback can use the Tree Health Pilot Scheme to remove and replace these trees. They can then apply for CHRW3 under SFI to receive payments for planting and maintaining new, disease-resistant hedgerow trees.
Payment Rates and Reporting Requirements under SFI
SFI payments for hedgerows are made annually, and rates are based on the length of hedgerow managed or monitored. The payment structure is as follows:
- CHRW1: Assess and Record Hedgerow Condition: £5 per 100 metres (for one side of the hedgerow).
- CHRW2: Manage Hedgerows: £13 per 100 metres (for one side of the hedgerow).
- CHRW3: Maintain or Establish Hedgerow Trees: £10 per 100 metres (for both sides of the hedgerow).
Participants must comply with the reporting requirements for each action, which typically include:
- Annual Reporting:
Submission of a yearly report detailing the activities carried out, including any assessments, management actions, or planting work. This helps demonstrate that the actions align with the agreed SFI standards. - Record Keeping:
Maintaining records of management activities, including photographic evidence and dates of work carried out. These records must be kept for the duration of the agreement and may be subject to inspections by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). - Compliance with SFI Standards:
Participants must ensure that all actions comply with SFI standards, including avoiding trimming during bird nesting seasons and using appropriate species for hedgerow tree planting.
Maximising the Value of SFI for Hedgerows
The SFI provides a flexible and accessible option for landowners to support the health and management of their hedgerows. By integrating SFI actions with other funding schemes, participants can enhance the value of their hedgerow projects and contribute to the long-term sustainability of their land.
- Advice for landowners: Begin by assessing the current condition of your hedgerows to determine which SFI options are most suitable. Consider combining SFI actions with Countryside Stewardship or the Tree Health Pilot Scheme for comprehensive support. Regularly review your hedgerow management plan to ensure you meet reporting requirements and make the most of available funding.
By taking advantage of SFI hedgerow options, landowners can maintain the health, structure, and ecological value of their hedgerows, contributing to a more sustainable and wildlife-friendly landscape across England.
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