BFS1: 12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land

The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):

• you can now do this action on eligible land that’s in a flood risk area, and there’s updated wording to cover if a flood risk management authority carries out flood risk management works on that land – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI23 and SFI24 agreements
• minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions

This action’s aim is that there’s a grass buffer strip on land at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff, which:

• is alongside a watercourse or pond
• has an intact sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas or poaching

The purpose of this is to:

• protect watercourses
• reduce the risk of potential pollutants, such as sediment, pesticides and nutrients, being transported to watercourses in surface water runoff
• provide habitats for wildlife and form links to other habitats
• support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas

What you must do

You must establish and maintain a grass strip that’s:

• at least 12m wide and up to 24m wide (on average in each land parcel) – it can be more than 24m wide, but you’ll only be paid for the 24m width
• alongside a ditch, pond, river or stream, to create a buffer between the edge of the crop or fallow land and the watercourse

You must make sure the grass strip is in addition to any regulatory requirements relating to buffer strips.

Once the grass strip is established, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

During late summer, after the bird breeding season, you must cut part of the grass strip’s width next to the edge of the crop or fallow land. You must do this along as much of the strip’s length as possible. This is to provide some shorter vegetation and a range of habitat types.

Flood risk management authorities, such as Internal Drainage Boards, may carry out flood risk management works on the grass buffer strip if it’s located in a flood risk area. Check the flood risk map and read the guidance on how to use the flood risk map. If this happens, you must repair any damage to the grass buffer strip as soon as reasonably practicable.

You must not do the following on the established grass strip:

• allow livestock to access it
• use it for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
• apply fertilisers or manures
• apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken

You can maintain an existing grass strip to get paid for this action if it:

• meets this action’s requirements
• is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option SW4 (12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land)

When to do it

You must:

• establish the grass buffer strip within the first 12 months of this action’s duration
• maintain the grass buffer strip throughout each subsequent year of this action’s duration

Where you can do it

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:

• identified by you as being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep written evidence of this
• alongside a watercourse (ditch, pond, river or stream)
• an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

You can also do this action on eligible land that’s in a flood risk area. Check the flood risk map and read the guidance on how to use the flood risk map. This can include land which may have flood risk management works carried out on it by a flood risk management authority, such as Internal Drainage Boards.

Rotational or static

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

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this.

You must also keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:

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

If it’s not clear that you’ve 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.