Natural England and CFE join forces to help farmers deliver environmental gains
11 January 2010
Farmers who want to deliver specific environmental achievements on their land, from increasing bird populations to protecting historic buildings, are to be given extra support and advice through a new range of “how to” leaflets launched today by Natural England.
Four leaflets are available, each offering advice on the best Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) options to choose in order to ensure specific environmental results. The titles - Farming for Birds, Farming for Farm Wildlife, Farming for the Historic Environment, and Farming for Cleaner Water and Healthier Soil – will enable farmers to make the most of their ELS agreements, benefiting both them and the environment.
Robin Tucker, Natural England’s Executive Director for National Delivery, said: “If we are all to get the best possible results from ELS then it’s vital that farmers are given sound advice on what will be the most effective options for the environmental results they want to achieve. Our new ELS leaflets have been developed with a host of experts to help farmers make informed choices about how they can maximise the environmental rewards for their hard work. The new leaflets provide the clearest information to date on how, by choosing the right mix of options, in the right locations, farmers can achieve the rewards they would most like to see.”
The leaflets are a response to feedback from farmers who say they would like to make more informed choices about how they contribute to conservation. Produced by Natural England, in conjunction with the Campaign for the Farmed Environment and a number of partner organisations, they are aimed at farmers joining ELS or renewing existing agreements. They include a map suggesting optimum farm locations for the ELS options. Safeguarding the environmental benefits of the old set-aside scheme is the main aim of CFE, and uptake of ELS is an important element in achieving this.
In a joint statement the CFE said: “It is very pleasing to have additional visual tools that clearly communicate the environmental benefits of taking part in the campaign and Environmental Stewardship.
“These leaflets will really add value to the existing range of Campaign materials and now that they are readily available the local campaign co-ordinators across the key counties will be able to make full use of them. Farm advisers and agronomists will also find them a useful resource when they are going into more detail about the campaign’s voluntary measures and the ELS options that count towards the Ecampaign achieving its targets.”
Farming for Birds
Since the mid-1970s, there has been a steep fall in the country’s farmland bird populations, with many declining by more than 50%. The leaflet, produced with experts from Natural England, the RSPB, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, and Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, aims to reverse that by generating nesting habitat, winter seed food and insect-rich foraging for ten of the “most wanted” farmland birds: grey partridge, lapwing, turtle dove, skylark, yellow wagtail, tree sparrow, linnet, yellowhammer, reed bunting and corn bunting.
Farming for Farm Wildlife
Wildlife is an indicator of a healthy natural environment. Yet the last 30 years have seen declines in certain farm wildlife, with loss of farmland flowers and many insect and animal species. Planting nectar mixes instead of grass margins can attract bees, while buffering ditches and ponds provides habitat for bats, newts and water voles.
Farming for Cleaner Water and Healthier Soil
Soil and water are as essential for farmers and their business as they are for the wider public, which rely on them for clean water, leisure and climate change mitigation. Land management that reduces soil erosion and run-off, buffers watercourses with grass, and excludes livestock from watercourses improves water quality.
Farming for the Historic Environment
Every farm and estate in England has played its part in the nation’s history and many have irreplaceable archaeological features or buildings. The leaflet, produced with English Heritage, describes how treasures on and below the surface can be protected by reducing cultivation depth, creating buffer strips or taking land out of cultivation.
Further leaflets, aimed at farmers joining the soon-to-be-launched Uplands ELS, are due to be published shortly.
The leaflets are available to download from the Natural England publications catalogue
and will be available at Natural England events and from the CFE partner organisations. Natural England and the Campaign for the Farmed Environment are seeking to increase uptake of the ELS scheme in order to gain greater benefits for the natural environment.
For further information on the CFE please visit the CFE website.
View further information on ELS events available in your area.
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Notes to editors
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
For further information contact:
Graham Tibbetts in the National Press Office on 0845 603 9953, graham.tibbetts@naturalengland.org.uk
out of hours 07970 098005.
