Management Prescriptions. 5. The following clause shall replace clause 26 in the principal agreement—
Management Prescriptions. 26. Subject to clause 28 no application for a permit shall be granted and no permit renewed—
Management Prescriptions the dos and don'ts of management The following rules apply across the whole area being managed under this option. For feature specific management requirements, please see Annex • Follow the agreed capital works programme within this agreement. • Maintain fen in an open condition, with scattered trees and scrub covering no more than 10% of the fen area. • Allow movement of water in the system to prevent stagnation in the ditches. • Maintain culverts, sluices and hatches in good working order. • Do not use poor quality water with high nutrient, salt or pollution concentrations to top up water levels. • There must be no application of nutrients such as fertilisers, organic manures or waste materials (including sewage sludge). • Do not allow any high nutrient load agricultural drains that intercept surface flow or groundwater seepage, to empty into fens. • Cleaning of existing ditches and foot drains should be done no more than once every 5 years, between 15 September and 31 January, with any spoil to be spread thinly away from the bank. Any work to re-profile ditches should be agreed in writing with your Natural England adviser. • To protect aquatic and marginal vegetation, cut ditch banks on rotation between 15 September and 28 February, so that each bank is not cut more than once in two years. Do not introduce cutting on previously uncut ditches and natural creeks without prior consultation with your Natural England adviser. • Manage existing patches of scrub to maximise the length and shelter provided by the scrub margin, and to maintain a diversity of scrub type and shrub age classes. This is particularly important around the margins of the site. • Cut scrub should be burned or removed off site. If burned, ensure there is no fire risk to surrounding vegetation and that no burning takes place on sites of archaeological interest or peat deposits. Only burn the cut material on degraded former wooded areas of the fen, on metal sheets raised off the ground, with ash removed from the site. Where required, cut stumps should be treated with an appropriate herbicide to prevent regrowth. HQ12 - Wetland grazing supplement Land parcels and associated features managed under this option: RLR Field Number: SU47288407 Features: SI01 Uncommon Invertebrates, W04 Fens - BAP habitat General description of the management required: This supplement is used only with the fen, reedbed or lowland raised bog maintenance, restoration or creation options. The aim is to support a graz...
Management Prescriptions the dos and don'ts of management The following rules apply across the whole area being managed under this option. • Graze the fen extensively with suitable, preferably traditional breed, cattle at stocking densities which remove the growth of vegetation and deliver the indicators of success for the HQ7 and HQ12 options. Stocking density should be adjusted to vegetation growth and ground conditions, but unless otherwise agreed with your Natural England advisor, should not normally exceed 1.0 LU/ha between April and October to minimise potential damage or disturbance to riverine habitats, wetland biodiversity and archaeological features. Extensive (rotational) grazing for longer periods is preferable to high stocking densities for short periods. Grazing in winter is unlikely to be appropriate in most years due to wet ground conditions, but in dry years extensive grazing with suitable lightweight cattle at low stocking density (less than 0.5 LU/ha) outside the growing season (e.g. October to late November or December and March to mid-April) can be very effective at reducing dense cover of sedges and other coarse vegetation. Maintain a record of stock numbers and types grazed to aid monitoring and review of the effects of grazing management on wetland/riverine habitats. • Supplementary feeding is confined to the feeding of mineral and/or protein blocks. Feeding sites should be moved regularly and never placed on archaeological features. HR4 - Supplement for control of invasive plant species Land parcels and associated features managed under this option: RLR Field Number: SU47288407 General description of the management required: This supplement is aimed at sites on which there are particular problems with invasive species (e.g. rhododendron, Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed) that are damaging the feature of interest, and where a specific management control plan is necessary. Indicators of Success • By year 2, the cover of Himalayan Balsam should be less than 20% in the agreed area. • By year 2, the extent of the infestation should be less than 50% of the field area. • By year 10, the cover of Himalayan Balsam should be less than 2% in the agreed area. • By year 10, the extent of the infestation should be less than 5% of the field area.
Management Prescriptions the dos and don'ts of management The following rules apply across the whole area being managed under this option. • Control Himalayan Balsam by pulling / method agreed in writing with your Natural England adviser. • Control any regrowth by pulling / applying herbicide.
Management Prescriptions the dos and don’ts of management The following rules apply across the whole area being managed under this option. • Carry out a Health and Safety check and prepare a Risk Assessment for the farm, and show this to potential school group leaders. • Discuss insurance implications with your insurer, and the Local Education Authority if appropriate, and ensure that adequate public liability insurance cover is held. • If you have not already done so, provide details to Natural England to prepare a Farm Facts Leaflet. • Strongly encourage teachers to make a pre-visit to the farm prior to bringing the class. • Carry out adequate promotion to ensure a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 50 school visits every year. • Provide copies of the Teachers' Information Pack to prospective school groups when requested. • Submit Farm Visit Evaluation forms when requested by Natural England. •Conduct at least twenty five (up to a maximum of fifty that may be claimed for) free school group visits each year. Eligible visits comprise groups in the age range 7-16 years i.e. school Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. They should comprise a conducted tour of parts of the agreement land to fit the requirements of the group concerned, normally lasting at least two hours. Groups should be a minimum of 6 people. HO2 - Restoration of lowland heath Land parcels and associated features managed under this option: RLR Field Number: SU17078710 Features: M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU17129279 RLR Field Number: SU17150288 RLR Field Number: SU17152190 Features: M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU17154794 Features: M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU17162952 Features: M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU17173759 RLR Field Number: SU17174740 RLR Field Number: SU17174758 RLR Field Number: SU18009086 Features: M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU18063070 RLR Field Number: SU18170330 RLR Field Number: SU19011010 Features: G05 Lowland dry acid grassland - BAP habitat, M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU19031493 Features: G05 Lowland dry acid grassland - BAP habitat, G07 Purple Moor-grass and rush pastures - BAP habitat, M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat, W04 Fens - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU19090892 RLR Field Number: SU19167388 Features: G05 Lowland dry acid grassland - BAP habitat, M03 Lowland heath - BAP habitat, W04 Fens - BAP habitat RLR Field Number: SU19178571 Features: G05 Lowland dry acid grassland - BAP...
Management Prescriptions the dos and don’ts of management The following rules apply across the whole area being managed under this option. • Cattle will be the one of the main grazing species together with ponies. They will comprise at least 30% of the livestock unit grazing days on the parcel.
