CMOR1: Assess moorland and produce a written record

This action’s aim is that you understand how your moorland contributes to providing environmental benefits and how it could provide more in the future.

What you must do

You must complete a survey to identify, assess and record the soil, vegetation and historic and archaeological features across the moorland area entered into this action.

To complete the survey, you must:

• divide the moorland area you enter into this action into blocks of around 10ha
• select a sample point within each 10ha block that’s broadly representative of the block’s main vegetation and soil types

At each sample point, you must identify, assess and record:

• soil types and condition, including the depth and wetness of any peat
• vegetation types and condition, including their height and structure
• the extent of bare ground
• the presence of historic and archaeological features – these will be identified in your SFI HEFER

You must use the information you’ve collected during your survey of the moorland to identify and record:

• environmental benefits the moorland is already providing
• pportunities to maintain, enhance or restore the moorland to keep providing environmental benefits or provide more

These environmental benefits include carbon storage, water storage and flow, biodiversity and heritage.

You can use a survey you’ve previously done of your moorland to get paid for this action if it:

• meets the requirements explained in this action
• was done in the last 12 months

How to do this action

It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

• follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
• do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim

You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

When to do it

Within 12 months of this action’s start date you must:

• survey and record the required information for one sample point in each 10ha block of the moorland
• use the information from the survey to assess and record the environmental benefits the moorland already provides
• use this information to produce a record of opportunities to maintain or enhance the moorland to keep providing environmental benefits or provide more

In each subsequent year of this action’s duration, you must:

• repeat the survey at a different sample point within each 10ha block, trying to do this at about the same time each year
• use the further surveys to review your record of the environmental benefits the moorland already provides
• review your record of the opportunities to maintain, enhance or restore the moorland to keep providing environmental benefits or provide more

Evidence to keep

You must keep a written record of your:

• survey of the moorland
• assessment of the environmental benefits the moorland is already providing
• assessment of opportunities to maintain, enhance or restore the moorland to keep providing environmental benefits or provide more

You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme Action or option codes

HEF5, HEF6, HEF8, OFM3, UPL1, UPL2, UPL3, UPL7, UPL8, SFI 2024 actions UPL9, UPL10 (if located above the moorland line)

SFI 2023 actions None

All CS management options (if located above the moorland CS options line

ES options All ES revenue options (if located above the moorland line)

SFI pilot No SFI pilot standards standards

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

• SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1 and BND2
• SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
• CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
• the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard