Conservation grants provide funding for habitat creation, improvement and management. Funding is provided by the European Union and each country in the UK has interpreted and implemented European legislation differently. Since 1 January 2015 there are new European Union funds and new rules apply.
Countryside Stewardship is the environmental land management scheme administered by Natural England.
Countryside Stewardship helps to improve flood management, landscape character, genetic conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
In November 2017 a number of new streamlined Countryside Stewardship options were announced.
Existing (2007-2013) conservation grants under Environmental Stewardship – administered by Natural England – will continue to operate but will be closed to new applications.
The Welsh Government administers agricultural schemes. Glastir is the sustainable land management scheme, through which financial support is given to farmers and land managers.
The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) scheme guidance is available from the Scottish Government website.
Northern Ireland Agri-environment schemes details are available from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs website.
Lowland Game Shooting Study Biodiversity on lowland farm landscapes has been in decline since before the middle of the last century, largely as a result of agricultural intensification. However, a number of demonstration projects and studies on specific habitats have shown that management for shooting has the effect of slowing
Dorset Green Shoots When BASC was in discussion with the South West of England Regional Development Agency in 2005 they showed interest in our Green Shoots programme, especially with the success demonstrated by Green Shoots on the Somerset Levels. The result was they provided funds for BASC to run the
Green Shoots in Cheshire Welcome to the Green Shoots in Cheshire webpages. Cheshire was the area where BASC trialled our Green Shoots programme with members and conservation partners. The concept was to collect wildlife information from members and then use this to inform conservation knowledge and develop collaborative conservation projects
