Environment Minister George Eustice stated that as part of the post-Brexit agricultural system, farmers and landowners will be paid to achieve “fundamental” changes to the landscape.
England’s new system includes a more ambitious plan to support the local natural environment on farms, as well as funding for “landscape restoration” for large-scale projects, which may include rewilding and providing farmers with more sustainable farming methods.
Environmental groups have welcomed ambitious environmental land management and the promise of “radical” landscape changes in response to climate and natural crises, but expressed concern about the lack of clarity on how they will operate.
Peatland
The National Farmers Union also criticized the lack of details of the new plans and warned that they could lead to a reduction in British food production.
Speaking at the online Oxford Agricultural Conference, Mr. Eustis said that the “Local Nature Restoration” program will pay farmers’ fees to make room for nature by planting trees, building ponds and Planting wildflower meadows.
It aims to be a more ambitious alternative to the existing rural management plan, which has also increased its payment value by 30% to encourage more people to adopt it as a bridge to the new system.
Mr. Eustis said that the elements of landscape restoration are “about more fundamental land use changes”.
According to the plan, land managers can bid for funding for large-scale long-term projects to establish forest lands, restore peatlands, wetlands and other habitats, and create new nature reserves.
Landlord
In the first wave, as many as 15 pilot projects, which may include rewilding programs to help rebuild natural processes in the landscape, will focus on restoring rivers and streams in England and helping endangered native species to recover.
A team of experts will select successful bids in the summer that will cover 500 to 5,000 hectares (1,200 to 12,000 acres) of landscape.
Mr. Eustis said that the “radical wilding experiment” at Knepp Manor in Sussex showed that “sometimes if you let go of the reins and allow nature to re-establish itself and restore nature-led habitats, you will Some have seen considerable changes in a relatively short period of time”.
He told the delegates: “The types of projects we envisioned in the landscape restoration are not suitable for every farm enterprise or every farmer, and in fact they may not be suitable for most farm enterprises.
“This will allow us to support options that some landowners may want to take, but we will not require anyone to participate in these plans.”
Payment
He said at the meeting: “It is important that we realize the truth about land use.
“If we are to achieve our goal of creating woodland in England-about 10,000 hectares of trees per year-and achieve our goal of acquiring 300,000 hectares of land to restore habitat, then there will inevitably be some land use The degree of change.”
