This action’s aim is that there’s a mosaic of scrub, grasses and other flowering plants, with:
- scrub cover managed to maintain the mosaic
- a variety of shrub 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:
- managing the scrub and non-woody grassy vegetation by patchy cutting or light cattle grazing to maintain the mosaic
- managing the scrub so there’s dense and scattered scrub on between 10% and 60% of the area, as well as open areas
- managing the non-woody vegetation in a way that allows for scrub regeneration and produces a varied sward
- 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
You must not:
- graze or cut the area in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be achieved
- graze the area with sheep, because their grazing habits would not achieve this action’s aim
- plough, cultivate or re-seed
- carry out mechanical activities, such as cutting, in a way that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests, as birds, nests and eggs are protected by law
- 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
- release gamebirds
- carry out supplementary feeding of grazing livestock or game birds, except for providing non-energy mineral blocks
- carry out drainage works or change existing drainage, without written permission before work starts
You can maintain an existing area of scrub and open habitat mosaics 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 Countryside Stewardship option WD7 (management of successional areas and scrub)
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 at least 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 which is 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:
- stocking records to show grazing activity at a land parcel level
- 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.
