Guidance

Annex 6B: Options that require exclusion of livestock

Published 29 June 2023

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-cs-mid-tier-and-wildlife-offers-manual-for-agreements-starting-on-1-january-2023/annex-6b-options-that-require-exclusion-of-livestock

Includes options that require exclusion of livestock for a part or the whole of the year. Also explains when to keep parcel level livestock records and farm level records.

3 - Countryside Stewardship livestock exclusion options

3A – Parcel level records

There is a group of options which require the exclusion of livestock for a part or the whole of the year.

  • AB1 (Nectar flower mix)
  • AB6 (Enhanced overwinter stubble)
  • AB7 (Whole crop cereals)
  • CT3 (Management of coastal saltmarsh)
  • CT4 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on arable land)
  • CT5 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat by non-intervention)
  • CT7 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland)
  • GS3 (Ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds)
  • GS7 (Restoration towards species-rich grassland)
  • GS8 (Creation of species-rich grassland)
  • GS10 (Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl)
  • GS12 (Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl)
  • GS13 (Management of grassland for target features)
  • GS14 (Creation of grassland for target features)
  • GS15 (Haymaking supplement)
  • LH3 (Creation of heathland from arable or improved grassland)
  • OP1 (Overwintered stubble)
  • SW3 (In-field grass strips)
  • SW4 (12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land)
  • SW7 (Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input)
  • SW8 (Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse)
  • SW9 (Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland)
  • SW10 (Seasonal livestock removal on grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes)
  • SW11 (Riparian management strip)
  • SW12 (Making space for water)
  • WD4 (Management of lowland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WD5 (Restoration of lowland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WD6 (Creation of lowland wood pasture)
  • WD9 (Livestock exclusion supplement - scrub and successional areas)
  • WD10 (Management of upland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WT7 (Creation of reedbed)
  • WT9 (Creation of fen)

If you have complied with the exclusion requirements then you do not have to keep parcel level livestock records. Instead, the annual declaration on your Countryside Stewardship claim form (that you have complied with the provisions of your agreement) will be evidence that the exclusion has taken place. If your agreement allows you to graze at some point in the year and you choose to graze then you need to keep parcel level livestock records as set out in 2A - Parcel level records.

3B – Farm level records

If your agreement allows you to graze at some point in the year and you choose to graze you will need to keep a livestock record for your farm, as set out in 1B - Farm level records. This will show evidence that you have complied with the maximum stocking density for your farm and that you therefore have not intensified livestock production.

If you do not graze this land at all during the calendar year you do not need to keep farm level records unless another option in your agreement requires that these records should be kept.

If you use grazing in some years to manage your options, but not in others, your requirement to keep farm level records might change from year to year.

  • AB1 (Nectar flower mix)
  • AB6 (Enhanced overwinter stubble)
  • AB7 (Whole crop cereals)
  • CT3 (Management of coastal saltmarsh)
  • CT4 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on arable land)
  • CT5 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat by non-intervention)
  • CT7 (Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland)
  • GS3 (Ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds)
  • GS7 (Restoration towards species-rich grassland)
  • GS8 (Creation of species-rich grassland)
  • GS10 (Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl)
  • GS12 (Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl)
  • GS13 (Management of grassland for target features)
  • GS14 (Creation of grassland for target features)
  • GS15 (Haymaking supplement)
  • LH3 (Creation of heathland from arable or improved grassland)
  • OP1 (Overwintered stubble)
  • SW3 (In-field grass strips)
  • SW4 (12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land)
  • SW7 (Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input)
  • SW8 (Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse)
  • SW9 (Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland)
  • SW10 (Seasonal livestock removal on grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes)
  • SW12 (Making space for water)
  • WD4 (Management of lowland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WD5 (Restoration of lowland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WD6 (Creation of lowland wood pasture)
  • WD9 (Livestock exclusion supplement - scrub and successional areas)
  • WD10 (Management of upland wood pasture and parkland)
  • WT7 (Creation of reedbed)
  • WT9 (Creation of fen)
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