GRH12 · SFI 2026 · Farmland wildlife (grassland)
Manage rough grassland for upland breeding waders
£203 per hectare, per year
Runs for 3 years.
A static action — it stays in the same place each year.
Where it applies
Permanent grassland
Eligibility conditions
- Within a less favoured area (LFA) below the moorland line
- Land parcel of at least 2ha
What you'll do
Graze rough upland grassland lightly (no more than 0.6 grazing livestock units/ha in the breeding season) for breeding waders — keep a varied sward, knock back dense rushes to no more than about a fifth of the area, and remove the year's growth after the season. The wader breeding season runs mid-March to late July.
Evidence to keep
- A written stocking record (monthly numbers by type and age, per parcel)
- Field operation records, with invoices
- Dated photos of the sward and rush management
When
- Mar–Jul: Graze lightly and don't disturb nests — wader breeding season (mid-Mar–late Jul)
Combining with other actions
Actions that can be paid on the same area:
- SFI 2026: OFC2, OFM2
- SFI 2024: CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC2, OFM2
- SFI 2023: IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
- CS Higher Tier: CSP9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CWS1, CWS3
- Countryside Stewardship: OR2, OT2, OT6
Checked against GOV.UK Find Funding for Land or Farms on 10 July 2026. Read the official GRH12 guidance on GOV.UK.
All actions