DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref :
133/08) issued by The Government News Network on 8 May 2008
Over 5 million
hectares of land in England, an area roughly twice the size of
Wales, are now covered by schemes which aim to conserve our
valuable landscape and its wildlife, according to a report
published by Defra and Natural England today.
Environmental Stewardship is a Government-funded scheme open to
all farmers, which funds the delivery of environmental benefits
through agriculture. The scheme aims to conserve wildlife,
maintain and enhance our landscape quality and character, protect
our natural resources, and promote public access to the countryside.
Environmental Stewardship is the latest phase of 21 years of
agri-environment schemes which have brought real benefit to the countryside.
These schemes have:
* Delivered 5 million hectares across England under Environmental
Stewardship agreements
* Restored more than 17,000 kilometres of hedgerow
* Created more than 4,800 kilometres of footpaths, and 2,400
kilometres of cycle paths and bridleways
* Assisted recovery of a range of species including the stone
curlew, bittern, twite, cirl bunting, and chough
* And we are on target to bring 95% of Sites of Special
Scientific Interest into favourable condition by 2010
Today's report also makes a number of recommendations for
the future of the scheme, in particular the need to address the
scope that Environmental Stewardship has to help combat climate
change and help mitigate its effects on wildlife and habitats.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, visited
Pympes Court Farm in Maidstone today to launch the report and to
see the benefits that Environmental Stewardship can bring to the
local environment. He said:
"Environmental Stewardship is our flagship scheme for
farming and the environment. It is open to all farmers in England
and has introduced a wealth of improvements to our countryside.
Our farming industry has such an important role to play here, and
I'm pleased that with their help we're seeing real changes.
"I am delighted that so many farmers have entered
Stewardship and hope that more will now do so. The scheme's
additional focus on tackling climate change is particularly important.
"I warmly welcome the recommendations of this review and we
will now work closely with Natural England to implement the
changes to the scheme options and to develop the other ideas on
scheme design to ensure that Environmental Stewardship continues
to achieve its aims."
Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said:
"We are pleased that the review has recognised the progress
made since the introduction of Environmental Stewardship, but
agree there is no room for complacency. Natural England will be
working hard to implement the findings of this review in a way
that allows Environmental Stewardship to address the challenge of
climate change and to do more to help the environment. In
implementing the findings of the review we will be mindful that we
must offer farmers a sufficiently attractive and competitive
package to ensure their continued participation in the scheme."
Notes to Editors
1. A copy of the Environmental Stewardship Review of Progress can
be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/#2a
2. ES is composed of three tiers:
* Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), a whole farm scheme which aims
to encourage farmers and land managers across England to deliver
simple but effective environmental management
* Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS), which is open to
farmers who manage all or part of their land organically
* Higher Level Stewardship (HLS), which, when combined with ELS
or OELS options, aims to deliver significant environmental
benefits in high priority areas.
3. The scheme replaced the Countryside Stewardship,
Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Organic Farming Schemes, which
are now closed to new applicants. 2008 marks 21 years of these
agri-environment schemes.
4. Around £2.9billion is earmarked for Environmental Stewardship
and other agri-environment schemes from 2007-2013, under the Rural
Development Programme for England.
5. Pympes Court Farm, which Hilary Benn visited today to launch
the Environmental Stewardship Review of Progress report, is a
livestock and horticulture farm in the Loose Valley run by Colin
and Virginia Duncanson. The farm has traditional orchards, mixed
grazing and an education centre in a medieval barn. Environmental
Stewardship agreements have been in place on the farm since May
2007, focusing on traditional orchards, education access and hedge restoration.
6. The findings of the review can briefly be summarised as follows:
1. Scheme Policy Change
* Climate change should be an overarching theme of ES.
2. Scheme Option Effectiveness (Entry Level Stewardship)
* Overall Recommendation: Over 100 detailed changes to ELS
options (revised options, prescriptions and new options) should be implemented.
3. Scheme Option Effectiveness (Higher Level Stewardship)
* Overall Recommendation: Over 80 detailed changes to HLS options
should be implemented.
4. Scheme Design and Process.
* Investigate funding sources and develop a significantly
enhanced, geographically differentiated, programme of advice to
support ELS delivery
* Explore ways of making further improvements to the Farm
Environment Plan (FEP) process
* Continue to develop and refine a map-based approach to
targeting HLS agreements.
* Carry out and implement a full scheme payment review
* Develop and trial a package of further measures aimed at
improving the environmental delivery and local relevance of Entry
Level Stewardship.
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