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For SFI24 actions, read theÌýSFI24 agreement holder’s information.

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3 yearsÌý

How muchÌýyou’llÌýbe paidÌý

£35 per hectare (ha) per yearÌý

Action’s aimÌý

This action’s aim is thatÌýthere’sÌýa moderate livestock density grazing on the moorland, so its habitat isÌýmaintainedÌýor enhanced alongside farming.ÌýÌýÌý

The purpose of this is to:Ìý

• prevent expansion of areas of bare groundÌý

• increase surface roughnessÌý

• reduce diffuse pollutionÌý

• improve water quality and flood risk managementÌý

• provide habitats for moorland speciesÌý

• protect historic and archaeological featuresÌý

Where you can do this actionÌý

You can do this action on landÌýlocatedÌýabove the ³Ù³ó²¹³Ù’s:Ìý

• an eligible land type (as defined inÌýsectionÌý5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information)Ìý

• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital mapsÌý

• declared with a land useÌýcode which is compatible with the eligible land coverÌý

If a land parcel isÌýlocatedÌýabove and below the moorland line, you can enter it into this action if:Ìý

• most of the area is above the moorland lineÌý

• it’sÌýmanaged as one grazing unit with adjacent land parcelsÌýlocatedÌýabove the moorland lineÌý

Farmyards or land used for turf or peat production are not eligible for this action.Ìý

Eligible landÌý

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Permanent grassland	Permanent grassland	PG01	Ìý
Non-agricultural areas, such as scrub, scree,ÌýbrackenÌýand bog	Relevant non-agricultural land cover, such as scrub, scree,ÌýbrackenÌýor bog	Relevant non-agricultural land use code to match land cover	Ìý

Eligibility of protected landÌý

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action. ReadÌýsection 10.1Ìý‘SSSI consent’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information to find out about:Ìý

• whatÌýit’sÌýadvisable for you to do before you apply for this action on SSSI landÌý

• how to give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent – you will not be offered an SFI26 agreement until Natural England confirms you have done thisÌý

• what stocking information you need to provide with your SSSI noticeÌý

Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (readÌýsectionÌý5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).Ìý

Available area you canÌýenter intoÌýthis actionÌý

Total available area in a land parcel (at the point of application).ÌýIt’sÌýyour responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.Ìý

You must do this action on the areaÌýentered intoÌýyour SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some orÌýall ofÌýthe area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in writing as soon as possible.ÌýRead section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply withÌýyourÌýagreement’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.       Ìý

Rotational or static actionÌý

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.Ìý

What to doÌý

You must make sure that the livestock density across the landÌýentered intoÌýthis action does not exceed 0.16 grazing livestock units (GLU) per ha at any time.Ìý

Convert livestock numbers into GLU  Ìý

To convert livestock numbers into GLU, you must use the following values:Ìý

• Cattle over 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 1.0 GLUÌý

• Cattle over 6 months to 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 0.6 GLUÌý

• Lowland ewe and lamb, or ram – 0.12 GLUÌý

• Store lamb, hillÌýeweÌýand lamb or hogg or teg – 0.08 GLUÌý

• Goat – 0.12 GLUÌý

• Pony or donkey – 0.8 GLUÌý

• Horse – 1.0 GLUÌý

Lambs at foot do not have a separate GLU allocation. They are included in the figures shown for ‘ewe and lamb’.Ìý

Read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out how to calculateÌýthe livestockÌýdensity.Ìý

You must not carry out supplementary feeding of livestock on landÌýentered intoÌýthis action, except for mineral licksÌý

Supplementary feeding in extreme weather conditions Ìý

You can carry out supplementary feeding of livestock in extreme weather conditions (defined as 2 or more consecutive days of deep snow or hard frost). In this case, you can feed hay or haylage, but only for the purpose of animal welfare. If you do this, you must: Ìý

• move the feeding sites around the landÌýentered intoÌýthis action to minimise damage to the soil and vegetationÌý

• avoid transferring undesirable species which are in the hay or haylage, such as docks or rosebay willowherbÌý

You must not:Ìý

• feed livestock on or next to historic and archaeological features, steepÌýslopesÌýor footpathsÌý

• use troughs or feedersÌý

You may need to reduce or remove livestock from the area to avoid damage to the soil and vegetation if you need to feed regularly during extreme weather.Ìý

Produce a written stocking calendarÌý

At the start of each year of this action’s duration, you must produce a written stocking calendar for each land parcelÌýentered intoÌýthis action. This can be a paper-based or electronic record.Ìý

The stocking calendar must show how you plan to meet this action’s requirements. It must include:Ìý

• land parcel reference number and hectarageÌý

• dates you plan to graze the land parcel during each calendar monthÌý

• monthly numbers of livestock which will graze the land parcel, including their type and age bracketÌý

If you manage several adjacent land parcels as one grazing unit, you can keep one stocking calendar for that grazing unit. You must include all the land parcel reference numbers whichÌýcompriseÌýthat grazing unit.Ìý

If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the RPA about this in writing as soon as possible. For example, if there are fodder supply issues, so you need to increase the stocking level.ÌýRead section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply withÌýyourÌýagreement’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.Ìý

When to do itÌý

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.Ìý

How to do itÌý

It’sÌýup to you how you do this action, as long as you:Ìý

• follow this action’s requirements – these areÌýidentifiedÌýby a ‘must’Ìý

• do the action in a way that couldÌýreasonably beÌýexpected to achieve this action’s aim Ìý

You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

Evidence to keepÌý

You must keep the required written stocking calendar and supply this evidence if we ask for it. It can be recorded on paper or electronically.Ìý

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this actionÌý

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.Ìý

Scheme	Action orÌýoptionÌýcodes
SFI 2026 actions	OFM3, UPL10, UPL8	Ìý
SFI 2024 actions	CMOR1, HEF5, OFM3, UPL10, UPL7, UPL8, UPL9	Ìý
SFI 2023 actions	MOR1	Ìý
CSHT actions from 2025	CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS4, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW25, CWS1, CWS3	Ìý
CS options	HS4	Ìý
ES options	No ES revenue options	Ìý

If an action orÌýoptionÌýcannot beÌýlocatedÌýon the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. ReadÌýsection 5.6 ‘LandÌýthat’sÌýalready in other funding schemes or grants’Ìýin the SFI26 scheme information for more details.   Ìý

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action: Ìý

• SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
• SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2Ìý
• SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3  Ìý
• CSHT actions: CHRW4
• CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)  Ìý

Supplemental actions you can apply for with this base actionÌý

You can apply for one of the following supplemental actions on land youÌýenter intoÌýthis action in the same SFI26 application:Ìý

• UPL5: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 70% GLU) – you can also apply for SPM5 on the same area as UPL5Ìý

• UPL6: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (100% GLU) – you can also apply for SPM5 on the same area as UPL6Ìý

• SPM5: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%) – you can also apply for UPL5 or UPL6 on the same area as SPM5

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

How to calculate the livestock density

When you use the values shown under ‘What to do’ to convert your livestock numbers into GLU, the sheep values have the following meanings:

• lowland ewe and lamb, or ram means recognised lowland breeds, and animals crossed with recognised lowland breeds
• store lamb, hill ewe and lamb or hogg or teg means recognised hill breeds, and animals cross with recognised hill breeds

Once you’ve converted your livestock numbers intoÌýGLU, you can use theÌýÌýto calculate the livestock density per ha.

Grazing on moorland

Cattle, sheep, and ponies graze in different ways.

You can achieve greater environmental benefits if you graze the moorland with:

• a livestock species which has suitable grazing traits for the habitat type
• a suitable number of livestock for the habitat type, to avoid overgrazing or under grazing it

Grazing traits: ponies

Ponies:

• can graze swards very tight, and at low stocking densities can create a good structural mosaic
• have a strong preference for grasses and will graze long coarse grass, such as purple moor-grass
• are very adaptable grazers, and can graze bracken (particularly in the autumn) and gorse
• are less likely to graze heather over the winter months compared with sheep

Grazing traits: cattle

Cattle:

• graze on longer swards, and graze less selectively than sheep and on coarser forage, creating a more varied sward structure
• will graze lower quality forage such as purple moor-grass, particularly in the spring and early summer

Cattle are more likely to cause poaching due to their size, particularly on wetter areas. You can remove them from the area over the winter months to reduce the risk of poaching.

Grazing traits: sheep

Sheep:

• can graze swards very tight
• are highly selective feeders at fine scale, often selecting young flowers and shoots
• are unlikely to eat long coarse grasses, such as purple moor-grass, if alternative food is available

Sheep can cause a decline in dwarf shrub cover due to selective browsing, particularly when out over the winter months. You can reduce the risk of this happening by:

• removing all the sheep for the entire winter or part of the winter (‘partial off-wintering’)
• reducing sheep numbers during the winter months

Grazing to maintain or enhance moorland habitat

To help you achieve this action’s aim, you can maintain or enhance the habitat on your moorland by grazing appropriately. This includes trying to avoid grazing on sensitive priority habitats, which may damage the habitat.

You’ll usually need to graze the following moorland habitats, as relevant:

• most grasslands
• fens and flushes
• most heathlands
• land with historic and archaeological features, to avoid causing damage from trees, bracken and scrub
• upland wood pasture

Sensitive priority habitats which may be damaged by grazing include:

• most woodlands
• blanket bog
• mountain heath
• willow scrub
• fragmented upland heath that needs to be restored

Neighbouring livestock

If the area of moorland you enter into this action is unfenced and adjacent land is grazed by other farmers or land managers, you may need to:

• consider the potential impact of neighbouring livestock straying on your ability to meet this action’s requirements, particularly the maximum livestock density threshold
• talk to neighbouring farmers or land managers about removing stray livestock from your area of moorland