YouTube video by Irish Wetlands

Overcast, with showers in the moring preceded by sunny intervals; moderate easterly winds and a high of 13 degrees C. Wildfowl interest included six Whooper Swans, the long-staying Long-tailed Duck of...

After a relatively bright start, overcast skies and light rain arrived late morning when a blustery northerly wind started to establish; temperatures peaked at 12 degrees C. Wildfowl were on the move ...

Credit: Evan Burdett, Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) From today (3 November), farmers and land managers can submit an expression of interest (EOI) for two new single-focus agreements under Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). A single-focus agreement is a simplified agreement focused on delivering a priority environmental action. The new single-focus agreements cover: * traditional orchards * wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl This builds on the single-focus agreements that were introduced in July, for: * species-rich grassland * scheduled monument management Single-focus agreements have proved popular with farmers and land managers. Over 1,100 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have been submitted for these agreements so far. By expanding single-focus agreements, we are making it easier for more farmers and land managers to access funding through CSHT and deliver important environmental outcomes. This post explains what to check before submitting an EOI, how to submit it, and what happens next. It also covers survey requirements for species-rich grassland and plans for further rollout of CSHT. ## Expressing an interest in new single-focus agreements Farmers and land managers can now submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the four single-focus agreements. Before you fill in the online EOI form, you should: * read the CSHT applicant’s guide to check whether you are eligible, which includes eligibility requirements of the actions themselves * check that your business email address, contact telephone number and permissions are up to date in the Rural Payments service * make sure you have the correct permissions in the Rural Payments service to act on behalf of someone else, if required It’s important to make sure your contact details and permissions are up to date to avoid delays or your EOI being rejected. Once you’re ready to submit your EOI, you need to complete the online EOI form for CSHT. Our guidance on how to complete the form explains what information you will need to have ready. Please take care to enter all details on the form accurately, so your EOI can be processed as smoothly as possible. You can continue to submit expressions of interest in species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management single-focus agreements. Depending on your land and its features, you might be interested in more than one single-focus agreement topic. If this is the case, you must complete a separate EOI form for each topic. You should not complete an EOI if any of the following apply on the land you intend to include: * you have already been invited to apply for CSHT * you’re at the pre-application stage or you are expecting to receive pre-application advice from Natural England * you have an agreement expiring more than 9 months from date of your EOI Once you have submitted your EOI, you will be contacted by a Natural England representative (or Historic England if submitting an EOI for scheduled monument management) within 10 weeks with information about the next steps. They will tell you whether they need to make a site visit. You should make sure you have information prepared, ready to pass on to Natural England or Historic England, about the land you wish to include within the action (the RPA land parcel numbers and size). Please note that submitting an EOI does not automatically mean you will be offered an agreement. Credit: Geoff Newman ## Improving access to CSHT While this post focuses on the four single-focus agreements that are now available, the EOI process can also be used for agroforestry and woodland improvement agreements. Read section 2 of the CSHT applicant’s guide for more details. You can also find information on how CSHT can support woodland in this recent blog post to the Farming Blog. We are continuing to expand access to CSHT, including rolling out the full CSHT offer to more farmers. We will share updates as opportunities become available, on the Defra Farming Blog. Work also continues to ensure those with expiring HLS agreements are able to continue to access funding. We will provide an update before those agreements expire to ensure those farmers have the clarity they need to plan for the future. Make sure you subscribe to the Farming Blog so you don’t miss an update. ## Surveying species-rich grassland As mentioned, you can continue submitting expressions of interest in a species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management single-focus agreement. If you submit an EOI for species-rich grassland between 1 November and 31 March, you will need to provide data from a previous survey. This period is outside the normal survey season. The requirement does not apply if you have land in an expiring agreement under: * HLS option HK6: Maintenance of species-rich, semi-natural grassland * SFI action GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed) * CS option GS6: Management of species-rich grassland * CSHT action GS6: Management of species-rich grassland Read the CSHT applicant’s guide for more information on the requirements.

Bristol is aiming to become the UK's first Wetland City through an ambitious five-year programme led by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). More t ...