RPA Simplified Countryside Stewardship (360G-cabinetoffice-G2-GA-2023111108217-22-23)

The main priority for Countryside Stewardship is to protect and enhance the natural environment, in particular: increased biodiversity; improved habitat and expanded woodland areas; improved water quality; improved air quality. Other outcomes supported are: protection against flooding and coastal erosion; maintaining the historic environment; improved landscape character; climate change adaptation and mitigation. Countryside Stewardship supports Defras 25 Year Environment Plan for our country to be the healthiest, most beautiful place in the world to live, work and bring up a family. It also supports Defras Strategic Objective of a cleaner, healthier environment, benefitting people and the economy. Countryside Stewardship gives incentives for land managers to look after the environment and is made up of the following elements: Higher Tier agreements for land that requires more complex management tailored to the individual site and now includes woodland maintenance; Mid Tier agreements that provide a range of options and capital items that together help to deliver a broad range of environmental benefits; four Wildlife Offers that provide a simpler set of options to help improve the wildlife on farms; Capital Grants that provide grants for boundaries, trees and orchards, water quality and air quality; Woodland Management Plan grant to help create a UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) compliant 10-year woodland management plan; Woodland Tree Health grant to help restore and improve tree health; Facilitation Fund which supports individuals who bring together groups of farmers, foresters and land managers to improve the environmental outcomes in their area; Protection and Infrastructure grant which provides grants for woodland infrastructure.