Environment secretary Emma Reynolds has confirmed new access to the £50mn Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier for woodland or agroforestry agreements
The Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) will open to direct applications from farmers and land managers for the first time, the environment secretary Emma Reynolds has announced.
Speaking today (2 July) at the regenerative farming event Groundswell, in Hertfordshire, Reynolds said farmers and land managers would no longer need an invite from Natural England to apply to the scheme.
An initial cohort of up to 1,200 single-focus agreements totalling £50 million will be made available, including woodland, agroforestry and protections for species-rich grassland.
When CSHT launched last September, applications for funding were open on an invite-only basis from Natural England or the Forestry Commission as part of a phased rollout.
From later this summer, this restriction will be lifted with land managers able to submit their own expression of interest.
Priority will be given to farmers with agreements ending or those who have already completed the preparatory work needed to apply.
“The Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier will be simpler and easier for more applicants to access, giving more farmers and land managers the opportunity to invest in their businesses,” said Reynolds.
The news follows the reopening of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) this week, which has been redesigned to be simpler and more accessible.
Defra has confirmed that application demand was strong on the first day, with a high number of applications, but volumes have since begun to level off to a steady pace.
Reynolds is due to be questioned by the cross-party Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee next week (7 July), in a public session available to watch live online.
She will face questions on the new Farming Roadmap, environment land management schemes, food security and prices.
