Stewardship Scheme Mixes
A stewardship scheme, currently known as Countryside Stewardship (CS) in England, is a program that provides financial incentives to farmers and land managers to improve the environment. It funds various actions like creating habitats, improving water and air quality, and managing land for flood risk reduction. There are different levels, such as Mid Tier for broader benefits and Higher Tier for more complex and environmentally significant sites.
Key features of the Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme:
Goal: To improve the environment, support biodiversity, and help the government meet its environmental targets.
Participants: Farmers, foresters, and other land managers.
Financial incentives: Provides grants for management options and capital items (e.g., restoring ponds, planting hedges).
Levels:
- Mid Tier: Offers a variety of options for a wide range of environmental benefits and is often competitive.
- Higher Tier: For more complex management of environmentally significant sites, including commons and woodlands, with support from organizations like Natural England and the Forestry Commission.
Examples of funded actions:
- Increasing biodiversity
- Improving wildlife habitats
- Improving water and air quality
- Expanding woodland areas
- Natural flood management
Historic predecessor: The current Countryside Stewardship scheme replaced the previous Environmental Stewardship (ES) scheme in 2015.
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