What the action involves
This action’s aim is to manage species-rich grassland which is a priority habitat or is in the process of becoming a priority habitat. You can use this to manage existing grassland or grassland that’s being restored or created.
The purpose of this is to maintain and improve the biodiversity of grassland areas to benefit flowering plants, fungi and other wildlife, such as insects, birds and bats.
What you must do
Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this action, you must:
- maintain, restore, or establish a mix of high value indicator plants typical of the species-rich grassland priority habitat – some indicator species will be frequent or occasional across the site, as set out in your agreement
- manage by grazing, cutting or a combination of both, as agreed with your Natural England adviser, to provide a variety of vegetation heights appropriate for the grassland type
- restrict topping to areas and time periods set out in your agreement
- manage the appropriate level of scrub cover for the grassland type
- protect historic and archaeological features
- cut scrub or bracken by hand on archaeological or historic features
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:
- cut for hay no earlier than the end of June (or at a date agreed with your Natural England adviser) to allow plants to flower and set seed
- remove all cuttings and graze the aftermath
- remove livestock for at least 8 continuous weeks during the spring and summer before taking a hay cut
- leave a proportion of the field uncut as a refuge for invertebrates and small mammals
- remove livestock in certain years or at certain times of the year
- increase or maintain livestock numbers at certain times of year for target features
- manage rushes and other competitive plant species to achieve the right vegetation conditions
- manage dense bracken stands rotationally by cutting or bruising
- establish additional plant species if agreed with your Natural England adviser
- take action to restore the appropriate hydrology (site wetness)
- maintain the soil pH at suitable levels for the grassland type
- carry out controlled burning
- provide small areas of undisturbed bare ground to support specific species
- follow an agreed wildfowling strategy and record bag returns
You must not:
- supplementary feed except for the use of mineral blocks or other types of feed agreed with your Natural England adviser
- apply farmyard manure, unless agreed otherwise with your Natural England adviser
- apply any other manures, fertiliser, digestate or any other industrial by-product including paper waste
- apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser
- plough, cultivate or reseed, unless this is part of an agreed sward creation and enhancement plan
- carry out mechanical operations or other activities that may cause significant disturbance to birds during the breeding season or the autumn and winter (this does not include ditch maintenance)
- work on ditches typically between April and August – this may also apply to surface water features
- harrow or roll, supplementary feed or allow bare soil on visible archaeological or historic features
- allow additional scrub or bracken to encroach on archaeological or historic features
- carry out drainage works without written permission from your Natural England adviser
- carry out land management activities in a way that causes poaching or overgrazing
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it.
The same action appears in the other schemes under a different code. The work is broadly the same; the rate and the length of the commitment are not.
- SFI 2024 — GRH6: £646 per hectare (ha) per year, over 5 years
Where you can do it
You can do this action on eligible agricultural land that:
- is already priority habitat species-rich grassland – it does not need to be mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI)
- will become priority habitat species-rich grassland because you’re creating or restoring it
Priority habitat species-rich grasslands include:
- lowland calcareous grassland
- lowland dry acid grassland
- lowland meadows
- upland hay meadows
- purple moor-grass and rush pasture
- upland calcareous grassland
- calaminarian grassland
If your grassland is not ‘priority habitat species-rich grassland’, it may be eligible if it’s:
- good quality semi-improved grassland
- land mapped as ‘no main habitat, but additional habitat exists’
If your grassland is not on the Priority Habitats Inventory under any category it may still be eligible for management or restoration with approval from Natural England. Your grassland may support additional species or features, such as rare fungi. You’ll need to adjust management requirements accordingly.
You can also do this action to restore or create species-rich grassland on:
- arable land
- temporary or permanent grassland which is not currently species-rich
Land must have high or medium potential to become a species-rich grassland priority habitat.
If you’re restoring or creating grassland, you must provide your Natural England adviser with:
- a map showing where restoration (from permanent grassland to grassland habitat) or creation (from arable or temporary grassland to grassland habitat) will take place
- soil analysis results including the soil available phosphorus (Olsen P method) and the soil potassium status – this is only required if you’re intending to introduce wildflowers
You must have carried out soil analysis within the last year, or within the last 5 years if you have not:
- applied fertiliser
- increased stocking levels
You can use this action on sites that are not suitable for the equivalent SFI action GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed). This may be because:
- the standard management activities in the SFI action are not suitable for the site, (for example, the land parcel has a mixture of species rich grassland types)
- the site supports additional habitats, features or species which need tailored management (for example, where the site supports rare birds)
- the site supports types of species-rich grassland which are not eligible for the SFI action (for example, calaminarian grassland)
- the site needs additional actions, supplements or capital items which are only available in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
This applies to existing SFI expanded offer for 2024 agreement holders with action GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed). The SFI 2024 expanded offer is closed for new applications.
Eligible land
You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area
Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.
Rotational or static
This action is static. This means you must do it on the same location each year of the action’s duration.
Consents and permissions
To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- obtain any necessary consents from the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) or Internal Drainage Board (IDB) before starting any work
- get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants that support it
If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.
