Statutory guidance

Hen harriers: licence for diversionary feeding (CL25)

Updated 1 January 2024

Applies to England

Class licence CL25: to permit the diversionary feeding of hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) to reduce red grouse predation.

Overview

This licence allows the provision of substitute food to nesting hen harriers to reduce predation of red grouse. This is intended to increase acceptance that hen harriers and grouse can co-exist. The purpose of the licence is the conservation of hen harriers.

This licence can be used by landowners and their authorised representatives in specific counties in northern England.

Registration

Anyone wishing to use this licence must first apply to Natural England to be registered.

You cannot rely upon or use the licence until you have been informed by Natural England that your registration has been successful.

Nest site details must be supplied in writing to Natural England before you can start diversionary feeding.

Recording and reporting: There are data recording and annual reporting requirements.

Reference: WML – CL25.

Legislation

Statute: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (‘the 1981 Act’).

Sections: This licence is issued under sections 16(1)(c).

Licence terms and conditions

Valid for the period: 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Areas valid in: The following counties of England (landward of the mean low water mark):

• Derbyshire
• North Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire
• West Yorkshire
• County Durham
• Lancashire
• Cumbria
• Northumberland

Purpose for which this licence is issued: This licence can only be used to conserve wild birds.

What this licence permits

Subject to all the terms and conditions of this licence and solely for the purpose stated above, this licence permits Registered Persons, their Accredited Agents and Assistants to disturb hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) by establishing and maintaining substitute feeding stations in the vicinity of nests.

Who can use this licence

This licence can only be used by Registered Persons, their Accredited Agents and Assistants.

The licence cannot be used by anyone convicted on or after 1 January 2010 of a Wildlife Crime unless, in respect of that offence, either:

• they are a rehabilitated person for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and their conviction is treated as spent
• a court has made an order discharging them absolutely

Any application by a person to whom this exclusion applies for an individual licence will be considered on its merits.

Definitions used in this licence

“Registered Person” is a person who has successfully registered to use this licence in accordance with Condition 9. A Registered Person must either be the landowner or have the written permission of the landowner.

“Accredited Agent” is a suitably competent person who is able to carry out work under a licence without the personal supervision of the Registered Person in accordance with Condition 9.

“Assistant” is a person assisting a Registered Person or Accredited Agent, under direct supervision, in accordance with Condition 9.

“Wildlife crime” means any offence under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Deer Act 1991, the Hunting Act 2004, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (all as amended) or the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019.

Licence conditions

1. Anyone acting under the authority of this licence must follow the instructions for diversionary feeding of hen harriers under Class Licence WML-CL25, as set out in Annex B. If you do not follow these instructions, you may be in breach of this licence and at risk of enforcement action.

2. Anyone acting under the authority of this licence must exercise the utmost care to avoid undue disturbance to nesting hen harriers. This includes, but is not limited to, following the instructions set out in Annex B.

3. Under this licence, diversionary feeding of nesting hen harriers must not begin until a full clutch of eggs has hatched, and must not continue for more than 60 days from that time. Diversionary feeding of nesting hen harriers is not permitted under this licence outside of this defined period, unless explicit, site-specific written permission has been received from Natural England (see Annex B).

4. The Registered Person shall permit a Natural England officer reasonable access to the site for the purposes of instruction on diversionary feeding or ascertaining whether the conditions of this licence are being, or have been, complied with. The Natural England officer may be accompanied by such persons as Natural England consider necessary for the purpose, and will produce their identification on demand. The Registered Person shall give all reasonable assistance to an officer of Natural England and any persons accompanying them.

5. The Registered Person shall permit sufficient access to allow monitoring under the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Nest Record Scheme of the hen harrier nests being diversionary fed under this licence. Such monitoring of hen harrier nests must be carried out by the holder of a relevant permit issued by the BTO. Visits to the nest to record the contents for the BTO Nest Record Scheme, or for the purposes of ringing or tagging, must be co-ordinated with diversionary feeding activities in a way that minimises disturbance.

6. Anyone using a vehicle to access diversionary feeding sites must use existing surfaced tracks unless alternative access routes have been agreed in advance with the Natural England officer responsible for the site (see Annex B). Access to the feeding perches from surfaced tracks will be on foot.

7. Feeding perches must not be placed in sensitive areas with flushes, mires (including wet hollows, springs and moss — see Annex B)

8. Natural England must be notified within 5 working days if the following are found onsite:

• 1 or more dead birds of prey (such as an owl, hawk or buzzard)
• 3 or more dead birds that include at least 1 gull, swan, goose or duck
• 5 or more dead wild birds of any species

Only report birds that have died by unknown causes, not by licensed action. Notify Natural England by emailing wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk.

You should also report dead wild birds to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. See avian influenza advice note for more information.

Conditions relating to registration

9. To act under the authority of this licence you must either:

a. Have registered with Natural England to use the licence as a Registered Person and have received confirmation (see Annex A).

b. Be authorised as an Accredited Agent by a Registered Person, and have had your name supplied in writing to Natural England by the Registered Person.

c. Be authorised by a Registered Person or their Accredited Agent to act as an Assistant, in which case you may act under the authority of this licence under the direct supervision of a Registered Person or their Accredited Agent. Assistants cannot work alone or unsupervised.

10. The exact location (minimum 6-figure grid reference, for example ST 582 727) of every nest site that is being diversionary fed must be supplied in writing to Natural England before feeding can commence at that nest site. Nest site details may be supplied either alongside initial registration or as soon as the location is known following registration (Annex A).

11. The Registered Person is responsible for all activities carried out under this licence, including activities carried out by their Accredited Agents and their Assistants. Accredited Agents and Assistants are also required to abide by the terms and conditions of this licence.

Conditions relating to reporting

12. The Registered Person must maintain a record in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex A. Records must be kept for a minimum of 24 months from the date that diversionary feeding is conducted under the authority of this licence. Records are to be made available for inspection at any reasonable time by Natural England.

13. The Registered Person must comply with the reporting requirements specified in Annex A. Reports must be submitted by 30 September each year that the licence is used.

Important

This licence authorises acts that would otherwise be offences under the legislation referred to above. Failure to comply with its terms and conditions:

1. may be an offence against the 1981 Act or mean that the licence cannot be relied upon and an offence could therefore be committed. The maximum penalty available for an offence under the 1981 Act is, at the time of the issue of this licence, an unlimited fine and/or a 6 month custodial sentence.

2. may result in your permission to use this licence being withdrawn. Natural England will inform any person or organisation whose permission to use this licence is withdrawn in writing. This sanction may be applied to other similar licences.

3. may mean that you are not able to rely on this licence as a defence in respect to the prohibitions within the Animal Welfare Act 2006 or the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.

If the activity that you wish to undertake is not covered by this licence, or if you are unable to comply with any of the terms and conditions which apply to the use of this licence, then you will need to apply to Natural England for an individual licence.

Issued by and on behalf of Natural England on 1 January 2024.

Information and advice about this licence

Further information about using this licence on protected sites, legislation, good practice and how your data is used.

Avian influenza

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a notifiable animal disease. You should use the online service to report dead wild birds if you find:

• 1 or more dead birds of prey (such as an owl, hawk or buzzard)
• 3 or more dead birds that include at least 1 gull, swan, goose or duck
• 5 or more dead wild birds of any species

Protected sites

a. This licence is a permission under section 28I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as substituted by Schedule 9 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000) for the actions specified on the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and European sites listed at Annex C.

This permission is only valid for the listed sites and should you wish to use this licence elsewhere you will need to seek a separate consent.

Natural England has considered the possible impact of the actions specified upon the species concerned and other notified features in issuing this licence. In doing so Natural England has considered whether there is likely to be a significant effect on features of European importance (alone or in combination), and whether the operations are consistent with ‘conserving and enhancing’ the SSSIs.

Natural England has concluded that, when following the conditions of this licence these actions will not have a likely significant effect alone or in combination, and are compatible with conserving and enhancing the special interest of the SSSI.

For further advice on protected sites, or for consent to use this licence on a protected site that is not listed in Annex C, contact the Natural England ‘SSSI Adviser’ for the relevant sites. Contact details are available from the Enquiry Service:

Telephone: 0300 060 3900

Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

Relevant legislation and good practice

b. Licence users should be aware that, except if permitted under licence, it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, at any time, to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird, or to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird (while that nest is in use or being built), or their eggs. And that it is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed under Schedule 1 of the ‘Act’, or its dependent young, during the breeding season.

Legal basis of this licence

c. Natural England has issued this licence in exercise of the powers conferred by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Section 16 of the 1981 Act provides that the offences in Part 1 of the 1981 Act shall not apply to anything done under and in accordance with the terms of a licence granted by the appropriate authority, which is, in England, Natural England.

d. Ordinarily, licences will be reissued on 1 January each year. Licences can be modified or revoked at any time by Natural England or the Secretary of State, but this will not be done unless there are good reasons for doing so. You are advised to check the terms and conditions of a licence prior to your first use of it each year in case of amendments.

e. The common name of the species given in a licence is included by way of guidance only; in the event of any dispute or proceedings, it is the scientific name of a species only that will be taken into account.

f. This licence does not confer any right of entry onto land and neither does it permit actions prohibited under any other legislation. In particular it does not reduce the protection afforded to:

• Schedule 1 bird species: This licence permits disturbance to hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) in accordance with the terms and conditions of this licence. Care must be taken to avoid disturbance to any other Schedule 1 species during the breeding season (see Annex B)
• other protected species including European Protected Species, such as otters and bats

Using and sharing your information

g. There is significant public interest in wildlife licensing and in those who benefit from receiving a wildlife licence. We may make information publicly available, for more information, see our privacy notice.

Contact Natural England for licensing enquiries

Telephone: 020 802 61089

Email: wildlife.scicons@naturalengland.org.uk

Wildlife Licensing, Operations Delivery
Natural England
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH

For other enquiries use the Enquiry Service:

Telephone: 0300 060 3900

Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

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Annex A – Registration, recording and reporting requirements

Registering to use this licence

Notes in this section provide guidance on how to comply with Conditions 9 and 10.

1. Only Registered Persons, Accredited Agents, or Assistants may act under this licence. Assistants may only act when accompanying a Registered Person or Accredited Agent; they cannot act unsupervised.

2. Anyone seeking to become a Registered Person must apply to Natural England, using the registration form. Names of nominated Accredited Agents must also be supplied, and it is advisable to have at least 2 people trained to carry out diversionary feeding at each nest site (see Annex C). You can submit the registration form before the exact nest location is known. Early submission is encouraged to avoid delays.

3. Applications can be submitted by email or post.

4. Natural England will review the experience of the named Registered Person and Accredited Agents and will respond with confirmation of the registration. A response confirming receipt of the form is not confirmation of registration.

5. After reviewing the registration form, Natural England will advise on what contact will be required by Natural England officers for the purpose of instruction (Condition 4). While this contact may be required at any time, instruction visits should be expected to be planned in advance of diversionary feeding beginning if the Registered Person or Accredited Agents are not experienced in diversionary feeding.

6. Prior to beginning diversionary feeding under this licence, the exact location of any nest to be fed must be provided to Natural England using a nest location form. Information regarding the location of each nest may be provided alongside initial registration of Registered Persons and Accredited Agents, or at a later time. Any new nest sites discovered or established after registering an initial nest may be added to the registration by submitting an additional nest location form.

7. You cannot rely upon or use the licence at a nest site until you have received confirmation from Natural England that your registration has been successful and you have provided the location of the nest site in writing to Natural England.

8. A registration to use this licence is only valid from the date that registration is confirmed to the end of the licence period in the same calendar year. If you wish to use this licence in a subsequent year, you must re-register.

9. Natural England will determine whether Registered Persons or Accredited Agents require additional instruction in diversionary feeding before they act under the licence (see notes 4 and 5 of this Annex). However, it is the responsibility of Registered Persons to maintain their expertise at an appropriate level to act under this licence and it is also their responsibility to ensure that Accredited Agents and Assistants have appropriate training, experience and instruction to act under this licence.

10. Anyone seeking to confirm whether a person is registered to act under the authority of this licence should contact Natural England Wildlife Licensing Service.

11. It is recommended that persons registered to act under the authority of this licence carry a copy their registration confirmation provided by Natural England when acting under the licence.

12. A person’s registration may be revoked by Natural England, for example, if that person breaches the conditions of this licence. In these circumstances Natural England will normally give 28 days’ notice of our intention to revoke a person’s registration.

Keeping records

Notes in this section provide guidance on how to comply with Condition 12.

In accordance with Condition 12, each Registered Person is required to maintain a record, which must be kept for a minimum of 24 months after licensed diversionary feeding is conducted under the authority of this licence (this also includes the activities of Accredited Agents and Assistants acting under their authority).

The report template reference WML-LR-CL25 can be used to help with recording.

For each nest, the record must include:

1. Farm or estate name and the 6-figure grid reference of the nest (or a more accurate resolution of grid reference if possible)

2. Brief diary notes of activities and observations relating to diversionary feeding, including:

a. Date and names of people.

b. Short note of any activities carried out, either covered by this licence or in co-ordination with other licence holders (for example observation from a distance, feeding, installing feeding perch, installing camera, ringing or tagging of chicks).

c. The closest distance approached to the nest (this can be estimated, if at a distance from the nest).

d. Whether food was provided, and if so at what distance and how (for example on a feeding perch).

e. The food type and amount provided.

f. Notes on whether food was taken (by hen harriers, or other birds or animals, if known)

g. The contents of the nest, if observed.

3. A brief summary of all information available on laying, hatching and fledging dates, the number of eggs laid (if known) and the number of chicks hatched and fledged. Relevant information could include:

a. Dates calculated from observations of adult behaviour.

b. Observations made by holders of relevant licences during any nest monitoring visits.

c. Direct observations made during licensed feeding visits.

d. Observations made via cameras, where used (see below).

4. Whether cameras were installed to monitor the fed nest, and whether the footage is saved and available to Natural England. If cameras were used, include a summary of relevant information obtained from the camera footage, including whether any red grouse were recorded brought back to the nest as prey. This licence gives no authority to use cameras, and cameras can only be installed, maintained and retrieved by the holder of an appropriate licence (see Annex B).

5. Any comments deemed relevant, including behaviour of the birds, such as hunting activity observed or prey seen taken to the nest, general effectiveness of the technique, or any problems encountered.

Natural England may, in future, reduce the level of detail to be recorded and reported, once further detailed evidence on methods and outcomes has been compiled.

Reporting

Notes in this section provide guidance on how to comply with Condition 13.

Each Registered Person is required to submit a report to Natural England Wildlife Licensing each year that diversionary feeding is conducted under the authority of this licence. Use licence report template reference WML-LR-CL25 for this purpose.

If you have registered to use this licence, but do not use it (that is, you do not place diversionary food at hen harrier nest sites), you must submit a nil return. It would be helpful if nil returns are accompanied with a reason why the licence was not used.

The deadline for submitting your complete report is 30 September (covering works carried out in that calendar year), but you may find it easier to submit reports as soon as diversionary feeding finishes each year.

Future application for registration under this licence may not be considered until these reporting requirements have been met in full.

Annex B - diversionary feeding of hen harriers under Class Licence WML-CL25

Like many birds, hen harriers will protect their nests, and may exhibit aggressive behaviour towards people closely approaching nests. Close approach to the nest under this licence is carried out at your own risk, and you may wish to take precautions such as wearing eye protection and thick clothing on your upper body and head.

Support with diversionary feeding and monitoring nests

You will be contacted by Natural England to confirm your registration. At this stage, you will be informed whether Natural England staff will be visiting the site to provide in-person support. This should be expected if you have not carried out diversionary feeding before. Under Condition 4, you must allow Natural England staff to accompany and support you if requested.

Upon registration, you will be given the contact details of Natural England Hen Harrier field staff. You can contact them with any questions.

If you have not carried out diversionary feeding before, and you wish to begin acting under this licence before you have had a response, contact Natural England .

All nests must be recorded for the BTO Nest Record Scheme (Condition 5). It is also expected that the chicks should be ringed under the BTO Ringing Scheme, if possible, but this is not a condition of the licence. Appropriately trained and licensed Natural England staff will normally carry out these activities unless alternative arrangements are made.

Visits to the nest to record the contents for the BTO Nest Record Scheme (Condition 5), or for the purposes of ringing or tagging, must be coordinated with feeding visits to ensure that total visits to the nest are kept to a minimum (Condition 2).

If you are unsure about any aspect of diversionary feeding under this licence, contact Natural England for advice and support.

How to carry out diversionary feeding

When to provide food

Laying typically starts from early April to early May in northern England, but there can be considerable individual variation. Eggs hatch after about 30 days of incubation. Grouse are unlikely to be taken during the incubation phase.

After hatching, chicks stay in the nest for about 35 days and in the general area for a further 3 to 4 weeks.

Female hen harriers will only return to the nest with food after the first egg has hatched.

In the absence of specific written permission from Natural England (Condition 3), diversionary feeding cannot begin until a full clutch of eggs has hatched. A full clutch is likely to have hatched 7 days after the female is first seen bringing food back to the nest. You must observe birds from a distance prior to this in order to avoid disturbing the female before the full clutch has hatched. Consult Natural England if you are not sure.

Diversionary feeding must only continue for a maximum of 60 days from hatching. Do not feed beyond this time because it could cause the young to stay close to the nest for longer than normal.

See how much food to provide for more details.

Feeding prior to full clutch hatching

If you consider that there is a need to provide food prior to the full clutch hatching, you must contact your designated Natural England contact.

Each request to provide food prior to a full clutch hatching will be considered based on the individual situation, and, if granted, will generally be restricted to providing food on a perch (not in the nest) during the late stages of incubation.

You must not provide food prior to a full clutch having hatched (judged as described above) unless you have received specific written permission from Natural England for that nest.

Where to put food

Put up feeding perches. It is recommended that these are placed around 20m away from the nest, to encourage uptake, but may be further away (if, for example, the individual birds are already used to taking food from a perch at a further distance).

The perches must not be closer to the nest than 20m.

Perch construction. Standard 5 foot x 4 inch square fence posts are suitable with a 12 inch long cross-piece nailed on top. You must construct these off-site, to minimise disturbance. You should ‘bar in’ the posts by inserting a metal bar into the ground or hammer posts into the ground. The installed perch must be stable, and the top of the perch should be approximately 4 feet above the ground. If you wish to use a different perch design you must:

1. Discuss this with Natural England.

2. Get written permission from Natural England for each site before installing perches of a different design.

Perches must not be placed in sensitive areas. These sensitive areas are wet, and characterised by a high cover of species such as bog mosses, low growing sedges and rushes, taller sedges and cotton grasses.

It is your responsibility to ensure that no other breeding Schedule 1 bird species are disturbed. Checks undertaken by a suitably qualified person (for example Natural England Hen Harrier field staff, local bird recorder or estate ornithologist) prior to the installation of feeding perches would help to identify other species present.

If other nesting birds are present:

1. Quickly move away from any ground-nesting birds that take flight, appear agitated or call noisily on your approach.
2. Establish suitable buffer zones (discussed and agreed with Natural England) around these nests and find an alternative perch site.

You may install up to 2 feeding perches for each hen harrier nest to provide space for enough food for a full brood.

Food must be placed on the perch, starting when a full clutch has hatched (judged as described under ‘When to provide food’, above).

If required to aid uptake, food may also be placed directly at the nest for up to 7 days, starting after the full clutch has hatched. During these 7 days, food must also be placed on the perches at the same time.

You must cease placing food directly at the nest as soon as the birds begin taking food from the perches. After 7 days, food must only be provided on the perches.

Any variation to the approach described above is only permitted with written permission from Natural England for each site.

Note: Utmost care must be taken during any visits to the nest itself. Visits to the nest itself will normally be under the in-person supervision of trained Natural England staff, unless and until the licence holder is experienced in diversionary feeding, as judged by Natural England.

What to do if harriers do not take diversionary food

If birds are still not taking the food from the perches on day 7, consult Natural England about whether you should stop diversionary feeding.

Visiting nests

No more than 3 people are to approach the nest site at any one time.

It is advisable to have at least 2 people trained to carry out diversionary feeding at your site. These must be either the Registered Person or Accredited Agents. This is to ensure that there is always someone available to provide food during the permitted period of diversionary feeding.

You must only visit the nest site once a day to operate under this licence, including to leave food, remove uneaten food from the previous day and any additional tasks such as maintenance of perches.

You must remove all uneaten food to reduce the spread of disease and avoid attracting predators or scavengers to the site.

If possible, you are advised to provide food early in the morning when the chicks are most likely to be hungry.

You must minimise the time spent at the nest, and not spend more than 10 minutes in the vicinity of nest site when operating under this licence.

Do not spend time within 400m of the nest, except for the minimum time required to diversionary feed. Monitor the uptake of diversionary food from as far as way as possible, beyond 400m of the nest.

Avoid visiting the nest site during periods of cold or wet weather when chicks may be vulnerable. If such conditions are prolonged and prevent daily visits, or if you are unsure, consult Natural England for advice.

Use of cameras to monitor activity

Use of a camera in the vicinity of the nest site can only be carried out by a holder of an appropriate licence for nest monitoring (WML-CL25 does not give authority to install, maintain or retrieve a camera), and must be co-ordinated with nest monitoring visits to minimise disturbance.

Use of cameras is not required under this licence, but footage would provide useful information about what food is provided to the chicks, and therefore the licensed use of cameras alongside diversionary feeding is currently encouraged. Note that this recommendation may change in future. If cameras are used, a summary of relevant information gathered should be recorded and reported to Natural England (see ‘Keeping Records’ in Annex A).

What food to use

You can use substitute food including:

• poultry chicks
• white rats (preferably weaner rats or young rats)
• quail

You can buy these frozen. Defrost the food the night before use, and prepare (for example cut open) the prey items away from the nest site to minimise disturbance.

A one day-old poultry chick weighs 40g. A small rat weighs 160g.

You can also use locally available food, such as rabbit and venison, cut into chunks, but:

• there must be enough food available for the duration of diversionary feeding
• animals killed with lead ammunition must be killed with a single shot to the head (with the head discarded), to avoid any risk of lead poisoning
• rodents that have, or may have, been poisoned, or found dead, must not be used to avoid the risk of secondary poisoning

You must not give the birds live prey.

How much food to provide

The food requirements of harrier broods vary according to the age and number of young. The following amounts are recommended for different aged chicks. You can increase this amount if the harrier pair is taking all the food provided, or decrease the amount if there is regularly food left over. Be mindful of the recommended weight of food per chick as shown in the table.

Age of chicks	Food per chick	Daily number of dead poultry chicks per harrier chick	Daily number of dead rats per harrier chick
1 week	40g	1	1
2 weeks	70g	2	1
3 weeks	140g	4	1
4 weeks	155g	4	1
5 weeks	185g	5	1 to 2

After the young have left the nest, continue to feed them at the same rate (185g each day for each young bird) until they are 60 days old.

Observations have shown that even when substitute food was readily available male harriers continued to deliver some wild prey to the female and chicks, although this very rarely included grouse chicks.

Vehicle use

In accessing nest sites and feeding posts, vehicle use must be confined to surfaced tracks (that is. hard surfaced or mesh tracks), with onwards access from surfaced tracks being on foot. If this is not possible, alternative access routes must be agreed in writing in advance with the Natural England officer at the protected site.

The agreed route will be one that does not result in damage to the surface vegetation or cause rutting. Vehicles must not cross sensitive areas with flushes, mires, peat haggs, areas with pools, bare peat and erosion gullies, and steep slopes.

Vegetation is damaged if it is destroyed, suppressed, or modified in its character or botanical composition so that it is visibly different from adjacent vegetation (and these differences are not related to different environmental conditions).

Rutting is the compaction and disturbance to vegetation or the peat that underlies it, crushing of the moss layer or exposure of peat surfaces so that it is visibly different from adjacent micro topography.

The agreed route might avoid rutting by:

• using vehicles with low or ultra-low ground pressure tyres
• avoiding obviously very wet parts of sensitive areas and particularly wet habitats which are susceptible to damage
• slightly varying the daily route taken to the nest site to avoid repeated movements across the same area

Annex C - SSSIs and European sites

Sites for which this licence is also a permission granted under s.28I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as substituted by Schedule 9 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000). This licence may only be used on the parts of these sites within the counties listed on this licence (see ‘Areas valid in’).

European sites:

• Bowland Fells SPA
• South Pennine Moors SPA and SAC
• North Pennine Moors SPA and SAC
• Moor House – Upper Teesdale SAC
• North York Moors SPA and SAC

Component sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs):

• Bowland Fells
• North York Moors
• Allendale Moors
• Appleby Fells
• Arkengarthdale, Pikestone, Egglestone and Woodland Fells
• Bowes Moor
• Cotherstone Moor
• East Nidderdale Moors
• Geltsdale and Glendue Fells
• Hexhamshire Moors
• Lovely Sea-Stainton Moor
• Lune Forest
• Mallerstang and Swaledale Head
• Moor House and Cross Fell
• Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons, and Blanchland Moor
• Upper Teesdale
• West Nidderdale, Barden and Blubberhouses Moors
• Whitfield Moor, Plenmeller and Ashholme Commons
• Dark Peak
• Eastern Peak District Moors
• Goyt Valley
• Leek Moors
• South Pennine Moors
• Simonside Hills
• Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood
• The Cheviot

WML-CL25 [version January 2024]