Th The Future of of Far arm an and En Environmental Support on - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Th The Future of of Far arm an and En Environmental Support on Ex Exmoor Update on Defra’s plans and our Test and Trial July 2020

A presentation in two parts: 1. What we know of Defra’s plans 2. Progress with our ‘Test and Trial’

Headline messages Future support will be based on “Public payments for public goods” A new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, covering the following public goods: Clean and plentiful water Clean air Protection from and mitigation of environmental hazards Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change Thriving plants and wildlife Beauty, heritage and engagement

Headline messages ELM will be better than current schemes: • Lighter-touch approach • Giving land managers flexibility to create ‘land management plans’ appropriate for their area • Advantages: • better value for money • motivation – payment scales may motivate land managers to do more • flexibility – enables land managers to innovate and adapt to their local circumstances"

The Government’s proposed timeline

ELM design principles • At the core of the scheme will be a ‘ Land Management Plan ’ prepared by each farmer / landowner, containing: • Baseline survey including map and summary of the business • The environmental outcomes and measures selected • Defra recognizes the need for flexibility and a long-term agreement • An important role for advisers selected by the farmer • Increased local involvement in spatial prioritization – guiding what happens where • A new range of payments methodologies – not necessarily based on ‘income foregone’

Defra’s proposed structure for ELM Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Easy for all farmers to Support for land managers Deliver landscape scale engage with to deliver locally targeted land-use change projects environmental outcomes Focus on encouraging Meeting ambitious environmentally Requiring locally planned environmental sustainable farming and spatial targeting, and commitments such as net forestry practices favouring collaboration zero carbon. • Nutrient management (incl. • Tree, shrub and/or hedge • Forest and woodland creation manure management) planting and maintenance / restoration / improvement • Pest management • Habitat creation/restoration/ • Peatland restoration management • Livestock management • Creation / restoration of • Natural flood management coastal habitats such as • Soil management wetlands and salt marsh • Species management • Field margins (buffer strips) • Rights of way, navigation and • Field cover (cover crops) recreation infrastructure • Water storage/efficient water • Geodiversity and heritage use asset management

Part 2 of the presentation Progress with our Test and Trial on Exmoor

Research Design 1. Quantifying Natural Capital as 4. Reporting of: 3. Setting payment levels and Analysis of the basis of Land Management modelling scheme impacts Leading • Definitions of natural capital by Plans to natural capital types of holding Farm visits #3: Define natural outcomes (5 x 1km 2 ) Model business capital outcomes consequences of LMP choices • Suitable payment Develop GUI for values reviewing natural Prepare natural Farm visits #2: capital on indiv. capital GIS LMP choices. Test holdings database • Environmental spatial priorities consequences at and payments landscape scales Farm visits #1: Test natural Recruit 25 case capital registers study holdings • Economic impacts First draft of & eligibility effects payment values Assess natural • Resources needed capital values - for efficient 2: Defining the outcomes that the ELM literature review delivery Workshops: will deliver at a landscape scale Review spatial priorities and Engage with payment values partners Key: Colour of boxes relates to Defra’s six key research topics LMP & DESIGN APPROACHES ELIGIBILITY Draw up spatial Review existing ELM priorities: spatial priorities landscape-scale EXPERT KNOWLEDGE PAYMENTS and policies heatmaps NATIONAL/LOCAL OBJECTIVES NOVEL MECHANISMS

Research Design 1. Quantifying 4. 3. Setting Natural Capital as Report- payment the basis of Land ing to levels and Management Defra’s modelling Plans ELM scheme team impacts 2: Defining the outcomes that the ELM will deliver at a landscape scale

Work completed / ongoing 1. Quantifying natural capital as the basis for Land Management Plans • Testing a form and maps on 25 farms showing what is there; • Comparison of ‘natural capital’ on different types and sizes of farms; and • Development of self-assessment score sheets to measure natural capital condition and monitor progress 2. Defining ELM outcomes at a landscape scale • Review of existing policies and best practice; and • Work with sector groups to develop maps of spatial priorities

NATURAL CAPITAL ASSETS showing potential flows of public goods Public goods confirmation All Exmoor UK Hab Map biodiversity mitigation regulation subject to Area (ha) Health & Clean air Thriving heritage Engage, Clean & plentiful Natural Cultural Climate beauty Flood Code Natural capital assets Heather moorland h1 10,585 n n n v o o o Unenclosed land Grass moorland g1b6 2,467 n n v o o o o Blanket bog f1a 2,523 n n n v n n n o Dense scrub h3 228 n o v v o o o o Maritime cliff and slopes s2a 43 n n v v o Sparsely vegetated land S 859 v n v v Unimproved acid grassland g1 5,153 n n n v n n o Unimproved neutral grassland g3 981 Enclosed farmland n n n v n n o Purple moor grass & rush pastures f2b 397 n n n v n n o Semi-improved permanent pasture g4b* 447 o n v v o n o Improved permanent pasture g4a* 31,197 o v v o o Temporary grass and clover leys c1b 9 v v o Arable and horticulture c1 2,446 o o v v Built-up areas and gardens u1 438 v v Broadleaved woodland n n n v n n n n w1 7,967 Woodland & trees Coniferous woodland w2 3,102 o o n v o n n n Wood pasture and parkland 20 - n n n v o o o o Traditional orchard 21 19 n n n v o o o o Line of trees n n v o o o n w1g6 n.r. Individual tree 1170 n.r. n n v o o o o Hedgerows (metres) Boundaries h2 - n n n o o o o Earthbank only o n n o o o 71 n.r. Drystone wall 67 n.r. o n n o o Standing open water and canals r1 179 n n v n n Wetland Rivers and streams r2 n.r. n n v n n Fen, marsh and swamp n n v v n n n f2 247 Building of historic interest 42 n.r. o o n n Heritage Archaeological feature 42a* n.r. n n n v Historic landscape / assemblage n n n v 42b* n.r. Open access land incl commons OA* - n n n n o o o Access Public Right of Way (metres) PROW* - o o n n Permissive access track or path PA n.r. o o o n Educational access o o o n EA n.r. Asset has high potential to provide significant flows of the public good n Asset has moderate potential to provide significant flows of the public good o Asset may provide flows of the public good, depending on the co-location of other features v

Lessons learned so far… • Information on habitats, species, archaeology, landscape features etc (natural capital assets) is incomplete and much of it is out-of-date. We need a simple way for farmers to check and update it for their land. • Describing ‘spirit of place’ (beauty, culture, historical context… supporting health and wellbeing) is the most difficult aspect – but it is important that this is rewarded in ELM • Drawing together all the environmental objectives (biodiversity, landscape, water, carbon, historic environment, etc) into an integrated plan that can guide farmer’s Land Management Plans is a complex process, requiring inputs from many organisations

Work to do • Testing and refining the score sheets assessing the condition of natural capital • Testing different ways of calculating ELM payments for a suite of environmental measures • Estimating the economic impact of different ELM payments on Exmoor farms • Examining the potential environmental benefits of uptake of environmental measures • Assessing the staff resources needed for ELM delivery

How you can help us Watch out for links to an online survey to be circulated by the Network, to cover: • Advisors and sources of information that you trust • Your interest in self-assessment of your farm environment • Your willingness to attend knowledge sharing events as part of ELM agreements • How you are planning for the reduction in BPS starting next year