This action’s aim is that there’s a mosaic of scrub, grasses and other flowering plants with:
- scrub cover allowed to develop, and managed so the mosaic is maintained
- a variety of species, heights, and structure
- growing trees and deadwood, where relevant
The purpose of this is to:
- provide pollen and nectar sources for beneficial insects, such as bumble bees, solitary bees and butterflies
- provide food and habitats for birds and mammals
- improve the quality of woodland edges and transitions between other habitats
- protect soils and watercourses by reducing soil erosion
What you must do
You must manage the area entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim, including:
- allowing scrub to regenerate naturally or by planting a variety of native scrub species, or a combination of both, so scrub cover develops on between 10% and 60% of the area
- controlling wild herbivores to allow scrub to develop and establish
- leaving any standing and fallen deadwood in place, if it’s safe to do so
- leaving any mature and veteran trees in place, if it’s safe to do so
- making sure tree guards do not damage growing trees, and removing them once trees are established
You must not:
- cut vegetation, unless it’s to control injurious weeds and invasive non-native species including non-native trees, soft and hard rush, nettles or bracken
- graze with livestock
- apply fertilisers, manures or lime
- apply pesticides, except for herbicides, to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken
- plough, cultivate, re-seed, harrow or roll
- release gamebirds
- use supplementary feed for game birds
- carry out drainage works or change existing drainage, without written permission before work starts
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
Where you can do it
You can do this action on land located below the moorland line that’s:
- got existing scrub cover on less than 10% of its area
- 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 that’s compatible with the eligible land cover
This action is not suitable for:
- peatland, because creating scrub could damage it
- land used by breeding waders, because they need open grassland habitat
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 evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- photographs or 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.
