Natural England

Land across the Blackdown Hills will continue to be managed sustainably thanks to a recent project funded by the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in partnership with Natural England.

The Blackdown Hills AONB’s Entry Level Stewardship Project succeeded in encouraging many farmers and land managers to sign up to the new Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) scheme, which offers financial support for managing land for wildlife and landscape benefits. This scheme builds on the success of the former Blackdowns Hills Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) programme.

Through this short project an adviser made one-to-one visits to farmers in the area to provide information about the ELS scheme and help with the application process. As a result a total of 48 farmers entered an Entry Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England, covering almost 2,500 hectares of land.

Natural England's Richard Lambirth said 'This project was extremely successful both in encouraging farmers to enter into the ELS scheme but also in promoting particular management options - for example methods of grassland and boundary management - which will provide real benefits for the special landscape of the Blackdowns.

I was involved in setting up the original ESA scheme in the Blackdowns back in 1994. We are particularly pleased to see that we are building on all the good work achieved since then.

The project also secured agreements with several dairy farmers, a sector previously under-represented in the scheme. This has demonstrated that all farmers in the Blackdown Hills, including dairy farmers, can access the ELS scheme to bring real benefits for them and the wider landscape. We look forward to receiving further applications for the Scheme.

Paul Diviani, Chairman of the AONB Partnership said ‘This project clearly shows the partnership’s commitment to the management of the area, cross-cutting the axes, for the benefit of the local community, the economy and the natural environment; in accordance with the underlying principles of LEADER+, the fund that supported this project. We’re delighted with the results, and are keen to see it grown further with more farmers being shown the benefits of the ELS and given assistance to take part in the scheme.’

For further information on making an application to join the Entry Level Stewardship Scheme, contact the Natural England Customer Service Unit on 0845 6024098 or email BDCSW.Genesis@naturalengland.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) scheme is funded by Defra and managed by Natural England providing funding to farmers to deliver effective environmental management of their land. ELS is one of three tiers of Environmental Stewardship.
The primary objectives of the scheme are to:

• Conserve wildlife (biodiversity)
• Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character
• Protect the historic environment and natural resources
• Promote public access and understanding of the countryside
• Natural resource protection

For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk and for the Blackdown Hills AONB visit: www.blackdown-hills.net

For further information on this press release contact Christine White on 0300 060 1302

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.