How much willyou’ll be paidpaid 

£270.90 per hectare (ha).

WhereHow to use this item benefits the environment

Managing bracken can:

• Available

  restore foror Highermaintain Tierhigh value natural habitats and the wildlife that live there

• Whole

  protect andarchaeological part-parcelfeatures

• Only

  help inmaintain combinationor withenhance athe landlandscape’s management optioncharacter

The

Where mostyou commoncan suchuse optionsthis include:

item 

LH1:You’ll Managementneed ofto lowlandget heathland

LH2:permission Restorationfrom ofNatural forestryEngland and(or woodlandthe toForestry lowlandCommission heathland

LH3:for Creationwoodland) ofbefore heathlandusing fromthis arable or improved grasslanditem. 

UP1:If Enclosedyou’re roughusing grazing

UP2:this Managementitem ofnear roughwater, grazingyou’ll forneed birds

UP3:consent Managementfrom ofthe moorland

WD1:Environment WoodlandAgency maintenancebefore paymentsyou followinguse woodland creationit.

ThisYou supplement can alsoonly beuse usedit to control manage bracken onalongside othermanagement options,actions suchor asoptions on dryhabitats grassland,such as:

• dry grassland
• woodland (including the creation and maintenance of new woodland) or
• sand dunes.
  dunes
• moorland
• lowland heathland

How

Use thischemical itembracken willcontrol benefiton thesmall environment

Itareas isand forin chemicallylimited controllingcircumstances. bracken.You’ll agree where and when you use it with your adviser. This willmay restoreinclude orsome maintainhistoric highsites valuewhere naturalmechanical habitatsmanagement andmay theircause associateddamage.

You wildlife,can protectuse archaeologicalSB5: featuresMechanical andbracken helpcontrol maintaininstead orof enhancechemical thebracken landscape’scontrol character.in most circumstances.

RequirementsWhat you must do to use this item

AgreementYou’ll holders will need to agree with Natural England or,or inthe woodland,Forestry Commission the Forestrywork Commission,you’ll carry out based on a specificationhabitat formanagement theplan. work,This including:

• theplan usemust ofinclude glyphosateIntegrated toPest controlManagement bracken,(IPM) providingprinciples.

  Your thisadviser iswill withinadapt the approvalrequirements for thethis productitem atto theyour timesite. ofYou application

Keepingshould records

discuss and agree these requirements with them.

Agreement

Evidence holdersyou willmust needkeep 

You tomust keep photographs of the followingcompleted recordsworks and supplyprovide themwith your claim.

You must keep and provide on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• copies of the Implementationimplementation Planplan or Feasibilityfeasibility Study,study if(if one existsapplicable)

PleaseRead see the record keeping and inspectionsite visit requirements asin setthe outAgreement inholder’s theguide: relevantCapital Grants, Higher Tier guidancecapital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more detail.information.

If Youyou’re canapplying findfor thethis latestitem guidanceas atpart of a Countryside Stewardship:Stewardship getHigher fundingTier to(CSHT) protectapplication, read the record keeping and improvesite visit requirements in the landCSHT youagreement manageholder’s guide.

Agreement

Items holdersand willactions needyou tocan keepuse thewith followingthis recordsitem

You andcan supplyuse themthis item with thethese claim:capital plans:

• photographs

  PA1: ofImplementation theplan

  PA2: completedFeasibility work

study

TheYou detailedcan requirementsuse forwith thisCountryside itemStewardship willHigher beTier tailoredactions, tousually:

CLH1: theManage Higherlowland Tierheathland

CLH2: site.Restore Applicantslowland shouldheathland

CLH3: discussCreate andlowland agreeheathland

CWD2 theseWoodland requirementsimprovement

CUP2: withManage theirrough adviser.grazing for birds

Advice

CUP3: andGeneral suggestionsmoorland formanagement

Advice how to carryhelp outyou use this item

The following sectionadvice givesmay advicehelp onyou carryingto outuse this itemitem, successfully but doesyou do not formhave partto offollow theit requirementsto forget paid. It’s not part of this itemitem’s requirements.   

BrackenManaging controlbracken

IfNatural theEngland applicationor isthe successfulForestry oneCommission ofwill twohelp approachesyou willchoose bethe followedbest dependingmethod onof thebracken sizemanagement.

Requirements andon complexitylarger ofsites

You’ll theneed brackenan problem.implementation Thereplan isand nofeasibility fixedstudy threshold,approved butby Natural England willor helpa withfeasibility thestudy choice.

Largeon sites

On larger sites,sites particularly(particularly where major habitat restoration is involved,involved). a Natural England approved Implementation Plan or Feasibility Study will be needed. This will include:

• the areas toyou’ll be controlledmanage
• the methods of controlmanagement you’ll use
• any follow up treatmentstechniques to controlmanage re-growth
• any risks to sites of archaeological or ecological importance, soil erosion risks or effects on the landscape (short and long term)

Small

The sites

plan must include:

On

• sustainable smaller,land lessuse
• how complexit’s sitesappropriate anto Implementationthe Planarea
• soil ortype
• topography Feasibility(the Studyshape mayand notfeatures beof needed.the Onland)
• climate
• hydrology such(water storage and movement)
• ecological and historic designations
• priority species
• what habitats are already in the area

Requirements for small sites

You may only need a simple plan mayfor suffice,a onesmaller thatsite. includes It should include a map showing areas you’ll treat and your planned schedule for managing the site. It’ll need to beinclude treatedenough andinformation datesfor ofNatural control.England (or Forestry Commission for woodland) to agree any works. You may not need an implementation plan or feasibility study on these sites.

Environmental concerns

MakeYou should make sure that the planned bracken controlmanagement has a minimal negative effect on other environmental interests on the site. InYou general,should chemicalfollow  controlthe causesUK lessbest disturbancepractice guidance.

Chemicals to archaeologicalmanage sites,bracken groundmay nestingdamage birds and invertebrates than mechanical control. But it will kill other speciesplants ofwithin fernthe habitat and may beharm morewater damaging to other plants around the site.quality. 

All herbicidepesticide applications (including aerial application) must follow thethe  law and relevant codes of practice. Natural England’s bracken control guidelines should also be followed.practice. 

Make sure any relevant consents are in place before carrying out the work. This includes includes consent from the Environment Agency to spray near a watercourse.

If any areas are missedmissed, theythey’ll will need tospraying beduring sprayed in the following year.

SiteWhat regeneration

Asto thedo site regenerates, control any bracken regrowth or weeds such as nettle, thistle, dock or ragwort. More effective bracken control may result if combined with appropriate grazing, where possible, due to the effectssite of trampling.

regenerates

Further information

FurtherYou informationcan isreduce available from:

• Symes, N. & Day, J. 2003. A practical guide to the restorationlikelihood and management of lowlandbracken heathland,regenerating RSPBby publications
• guidancecombining onwith habitatappropriate managementgrazing. forThis reptilesis frombecause thelivestock ARCtrampling Trust
• Naturalhelps England’scontrol guidebracken.  toAs grazingthe managementsite ofregenerates, lowlandyou heathland
• Naturalmay England’sneed guide to protectingmanage soilsany andbracken theregrowth historic environment when restoring or re-creatingweeds lowlandsuch heathland

Readas Countrysidenettle, Stewardship:thistle, getdock fundingor toragwort protectby andweed improvewiping. theAn landIntegrated youPest manageManagement to(IPM) findapproach outshould morereduce informationand aboutideally Higherremove Tierthe includinguse howof to apply.pesticides.