CGS21: Manage grassland for target habitats, species or features

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier ( CSHT ). You must read the CSHT guidance before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£528 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is to manage grassland to support target features. This can include existing grassland or grassland that’s being restored or created. This will support a range of habitats and features, including target species such as fungi, bats, insects, birds and rare plants. This action can also be used to provide buffer areas to link up priority habitats.

The purpose of this is to:

maintain or increase grassland habitat which supports wildlife and biodiversity

support features, such as historic sites and ditches of high environmental value

protect soil and reduce diffuse pollution

Where you can do this action

You can only do this action on land that is:

permanent grassland

arable and temporary grassland which has the potential for restoration or creation to grassland for target features

You can also only do this above the moorland line with approval from a Natural England specialist

You cannot do this action on the following species-rich priority habitats, unless they occur as a mosaic with grassland which is not a species-rich priority habitat:

lowland calcareous grassland

lowland dry acid grassland

lowland meadows

upland hay meadows

purple moor-grass and rush pasture

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. You may also need to provide soil analysis results including the soil available phosphorus (Olsen P method) and the soil potassium status – you’ll agree this with your adviser. Soil analysis must have been carried out within the last year, or within the last 5 years if there have been no fertiliser applications or increase in stocking levels since the last soil analysis.

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

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Arable land used to grow crops Arable land Land use codes for  arable crops  or  leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops

Temporary grassland Grassland TG01

Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

Bracken, heather and heathland Heath land and bracken HE02

Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 2) Inland water IW02

Fen, marsh and swamp Inland wetland IW06

Bog Inland wetland IW07

Reed bed Marine wetland MW03

Non-agricultural area or feature which is temporary and likely to change over time (ineligible area) Non-agricultural area NA02

Scattered rock Notional features NF01

Scattered bracken or heather Notional features NF02

Scattered scrub Notional features NF03

Scattered water features Notional features NF05

Scattered natural features Notional features NF06

Track – natural surface Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT03

Scree Rock RO02

Boulders Rock RO03

Rocky outcrop Rock RO04

Watercourse – ditch, drain or dyke Water/irrigation features WF01

Pond Water/irrigation features WF03

Woodland Natural woodland WO12

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

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

What to 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:

manage the grassland so that there’s suitable vegetation for target species or features

manage the grassland by grazing or cutting for forage to maintain vegetation and soil condition, as agreed with your Natural England adviser

make sure scrub, undesirable plant species, rush and bracken do not outcompete other grassland species or damage historic or archaeological features

protect historic and archaeological features

maintain or restore the appropriate hydrology (site wetness)

The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:

top the grassland to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, bracken or areas dominated by rushes

allow grasses to go to seed

provide appropriate levels of scrub for the grassland habitat

remove livestock at certain times of the year

provide areas of bare ground

provide areas of fresh dung

maintain wet features such as scrapes and gutters

maintain boundary hedges at a suitable height

maintain continuous vegetation cover on historic and archaeological features

maintain or restore a mix of high value indicator plants if the grassland includes areas of species-rich priority habitat

maintain the soil pH at suitable levels for the grassland type

follow an agreed wildfowling strategy and record bag returns

You must not:

plough, cultivate or reseed (unless agreed with your Natural England adviser)

apply fertilisers or farmyard manure (unless agreed with your Natural England adviser)

apply any other manures, 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

supplementary feed except for the use of mineral blocks or other forms of feed if agreed by your Natural England adviser

harrow, roll, supplementary feed or allow scrub or bracken to encroach on historic or archaeological feature

carry out drainage works without written permission from your Natural England adviser

work on ditches between April and August – this may also apply to surface water features

carry out mechanical operations or other activities that may cause significant disturbance to birds during the wader breeding season or the autumn and winter (this does not include ditch maintenance)

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.

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.

Scheme Action or option code

SFI 2024 actions CSAM1, AGF1, AGF2, OFC1, OFC2, OFM1, OFM2, CIPM1, CNUM1

SFI 2023 actions SAM1, IPM1, NUM1

CSHT actions CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CWS1, CWS3, CSP21, CSP20, CSW15, CSW16, CPAC1, CSW18, CSW20, CAGF1, CAGF3, CAGF2, CAGF4

CS options OR1, OR2, OT1, OT2, SW15, SW16

ES options N/A

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

CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4

SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD2

SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3

CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

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, particularly if you’re restoring or creating grassland

obtain the necessary consents from the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority ( LLFA ) or Internal Drainage Board ( IDB ), before starting any work

get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat

get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land

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 to support this action

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 apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Examples of target habitats, species and features

Your Natural England adviser will consider the target habitats, species and features your grassland will support and whether this action is suitable.

Target habitats, species and features for this action may include:

priority species

scarce plants and grassland fungi

targeted bumblebees, butterflies or other invertebrates

targeted birds or other vertebrates

areas that have breeding waders but that are not suitable for CGS20 or GRH2: Manage wet grassland for breeding waders

In combination with other features and species, this action can also be carried out on areas with:

ditches of high environmental value

historic or archaeological features

You may be able to use this action to link, extend and buffer areas of priority habitat.

You can create grassland for target features by establishing a sward using capital items:

GR1: Create or restore grassland habitat

GR2: Standard seed mix for grassland habitat

Responding to climate change

Read Natural England’s publication: ‘Adaptation for habitats in Environmental Land Management Schemes’  to help you consider your general response to climate change. You must continue to follow the mandatory activities for this CSHT action.

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

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Arable land used to grow crops Arable land Land use codes for  arable crops  or  leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops

Temporary grassland Grassland TG01

Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

Bracken, heather and heathland Heath land and bracken HE02

Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 2) Inland water IW02

Fen, marsh and swamp Inland wetland IW06

Bog Inland wetland IW07

Reed bed Marine wetland MW03

Non-agricultural area or feature which is temporary and likely to change over time (ineligible area) Non-agricultural area NA02

Scattered rock Notional features NF01

Scattered bracken or heather Notional features NF02

Scattered scrub Notional features NF03

Scattered water features Notional features NF05

Scattered natural features Notional features NF06

Track – natural surface Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT03

Scree Rock RO02

Boulders Rock RO03

Rocky outcrop Rock RO04

Watercourse – ditch, drain or dyke Water/irrigation features WF01

Pond Water/irrigation features WF03

Woodland Natural woodland WO12