Correspondence

eAlert: 28 February 2020 - Have your say on the Environmental Land Management scheme

Published 28 February 2020

Find out how to have your say on the Environmental Land Management scheme, and see what grants are available until the new scheme starts in 2024.

1. Defra invite responses from land managers on the Environmental Land Management scheme

Have your say.

On Tuesday 25 February 2020, Defra published a policy discussion document on the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme alongside a policy and progress update paper on Future Farming. The Secretary of State, George Eustice, officially presented these policy documents at the NFU conference on Wednesday (25 February).

The document sets out Defra’s initial thinking for ELM scheme design, providing an update on progress and overview of high level design options that they will be refining over 2020. The document does not intend to set out the detailed delivery arrangements for ELM. It does, however, pose key questions to stakeholders on which Defra would like to collect views and evidence.

The responses will help to inform the detailed scheme design for both the National Pilot (due to start in late 2021) and for the start of the ELM scheme in 2024. This is not a formal consultation but it is an important opportunity to comment and have the views of the forestry sector captured. We therefore strongly encourage you to respond to the questions in the document. Responses should go to Defra directly as instructed in the document itself by the deadline of 5 May 2020. The Forestry Commission will be providing a response to the document.

Defra plan to host a series of engagement events, the details of which we will share with you when available.

ELM National Pilot update We are pleased to announce that Forest Services will be one of the delivery partners for the ELM National Pilot (2021-2024), working with the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Rural Payments Agency and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and led by Defra’s ELM delivery team.

The ELM National Pilot, beginning in 2021, will ensure we (Defra group) are fully prepared for the launch of the new scheme in 2024. The Pilot will run in real world situations with a range of land managers for three years until 2024. The Pilot will test constructing ELM agreements at difference scales, targeting incentives and scheme mechanics. Details and eligibility for the pilot is not yet known but we will keep you informed.

Additional opportunity to feedback – land managers in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East, the North West and North Midlands

Defra have made an additional request for anybody willing to provide direct feedback on their ELM systems and farm inspections (please note, this does not include forestry inspections) – please see the flyer below if you are able and interested to participate. This is another opportunity to ensure that forestry is well represented in the discussions. Please do participate if you are able.

2. Help design ELM and the farm inspection experience

Defra would like to speak with and learn from farmers interested in helping improve:

• environmental land management (ELM) services

and/or

• the farm inspection experience

Initially, we’d like to speak with:

• uplands or arable farmers, or managers of common land or multiple land holdings

• any farmer who’s been inspected in the last 12 months

We’re currently looking for volunteers in north England:

• Yorkshire and the Humber

• North East and West

• North Midlands

What’s involved?

• no more than 2 hours of your time

• we’d come to your farm/office, at a time that suits you

• answering some questions and possibly feeding back on some prototype services

How to get involved: email your name and phone number to futurefarmingresearch@defra.gov.uk

3. Countryside Stewardship is still available until the launch of Environmental Land Management (ELM) – open for applications

Find out what grants we have available and apply now.

Countryside Stewardship is still open for applications and we would encourage customers to apply now. Alongside Countryside Stewardship, the Forestry Commission offer a wide range of incentives. For the full range of our offers take a look at our grants and incentives overview leaflet.

We are committed to working alongside Defra and others to increase woodland creation in England, and would encourage everyone considering a grant application to read the statement from the Rt Hon Zac Goldsmith: Reassurance to land managers to plant trees now. He states that no one taking up our current woodland creation offers will be unfairly disadvantaged when we transition to new arrangements under ELM.