Cranborne Chase National Landscape has been awarded funding through the Countryside Stewardship (CS) facilitation fund. The scheme is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
What we will be doing in Cranborne Chase National Landscape
Cranborne Chase will be facilitating a project working with the Nadder Valley Farmer Group.
We will:
- Set up a discussion forum to share ideas;
- Improve mapping of species within the area by instigating surveys, training members to improve ID skills and knowledge of habitat requirements so long term they’re better able to monitor and manage the ecological health of their own farm;
- Review habitat connectivity to identify opportunities to cooperate across farm boundaries linking areas of semi-natural habitat to safeguard vulnerable species against climate change;
- Prioritise options for future Countryside Stewardship applications on member farms, identifying areas of semi-natural habitat which are currently buffered from intensive agriculture;
- Enhance provision of habitat for farm wildlife;
- Work co-operatively with the Nadder catchment to implement better land management to reduce sediment run-off, nitrate and phosphate levels;
- Longer term, link with local people and train volunteers to monitor wildlife across the area.
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) facilitation fund supports people and organisations that bring farmers, foresters, and other land managers together to improve the local natural environment at a landscape scale.
This landscape scale approach can cover land under existing agri-environment and forestry/woodland agreements, common land and land not currently covered by a scheme.
It builds on the principles of partnership working to deliver environmental benefits, as demonstrated by various initiatives, including farm clusters and the farmer-led Nature Improvement Area.
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas. This project has received European Union funding under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme’s Facilitation Fund.