SCR2: Manage scrub and open habitat mosaics (updated for SFI26)
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.
Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£350 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a mosaic of scrub, grasses and other flowering plants, with:
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scrub cover managed to maintain the mosaic
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a variety of shrub species, heights and structure
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growing trees and deadwood, where relevant
The purpose of this is to:
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provide pollen and nectar sources for beneficial insects, such as bumble bees, solitary bees and butterflies
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provide food and habitats for birds and mammals
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improve the quality of woodland edges and transitions between other habitats
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protect soils and watercourses by reducing soil erosion
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on land located below the moorland line that’s:
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got existing scrub cover on at least 10% of its area
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
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registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
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declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
This action is not suitable for:
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peatland, because creating scrub could damage it
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land used by breeding waders, because they need open grassland habitat
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 | |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 | |
| Permanent crops – horticultural | Permanent crops | TC01 | |
| Permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 | |
| Scrub | Scrub – ungrazeable | WO25 | |
| Scrub | Notional – scrub | NF03 |
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Ineligible – you must not enter any area that’s designated as an SSSI into this action.
Historic and archaeological features: Ineligible – you must not enter any area that contains an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it’s eligible.
Available area you can enter into this action
Total or part of the available area in a land parcel. It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.
You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must manage the area entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim, including:
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managing the scrub and non-woody grassy vegetation by patchy cutting or light cattle grazing to maintain the mosaic
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managing the scrub so there’s dense and scattered scrub on between 10% and 60% of the area, as well as open areas
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managing the non-woody vegetation in a way that allows for scrub regeneration and produces a varied sward
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leaving any standing and fallen deadwood in place, if it’s safe to do so
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leaving any mature and veteran trees in place, if it’s safe to do so
You must not:
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graze or cut the area in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be achieved
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graze the area with sheep, because their grazing habits would not achieve this action’s aim
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plough, cultivate or re-seed
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carry out mechanical activities, such as cutting, in a way that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests, as birds, nests and eggs are protected by law
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apply fertilisers, manures or lime
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apply pesticides, except for herbicides, to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken
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release gamebirds
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carry out supplementary feeding of grazing livestock or game birds, except for providing non-energy mineral blocks
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carry out drainage works or change existing drainage, without written permission before work starts
You can maintain an existing area of scrub and open habitat mosaics to get paid for this action if it:
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meets this action’s requirements
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is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship option WD7 (management of successional areas and scrub)
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
We’ll publish advice to help you do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
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stocking records to show grazing activity at a land parcel level
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field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
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photographs or other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
| Scheme | Action or option codes | |
|---|---|---|
| SFI 2026 actions | No SFI 2026 revenue actions | |
| SFI 2024 actions | CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 | |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 | |
| CS options | No CS revenue options | |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CSHT actions: CHRW4
- CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Supplemental actions you can apply for with this base action
You can apply for supplemental action SPM5: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%) on land you enter into this action in the same SFI26 application.
If you apply for SPM5, you can also apply for supplemental action UPL5: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 70% GLU) or UPL6: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (100% GLU).
Updates to this page
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The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version): • updated wording to explain which land is not suitable for this action (see ‘Where you can do this action’ – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI24 agreements • minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions – see ‘Eligibility of protected land’ and ‘Available area you can enter into this action’
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SPM4 and SPM5 added as supplemental actions.
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - you can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. What to do - added the reason why you must not use sheep to graze. Added link to GOV.UK guidance on birds, nests and eggs being protected by law. You can provide non-energy mineral blocks. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.