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Environmental Stewardship

Countryside Stewardship: Higher Tier agreements to start in 2024

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship
View of countryside with woods in background and cattle at a watering spot

The window for applications for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier closed in April. Mid Tier and Wildlife Offer agreements are still open for applications until 18 August 2023. A number of 3-year capital grants are also open to help achieve specific environmental benefits, including a new Higher Tier Capital grant, woodland tree heath grants and Woodland Management Plans. In this post, we’ll set out the process for assessing applications and provide an update on the number of applications being taken forward.  

Environmental Stewardship: an update

We recently wrote to everyone with Environmental Stewardship agreements to outline some changes that we plan to introduce in 2023. Rather than offering agreement holders an extension of a single year, we're offering extensions of 5 years. This change, shaped by feedback, gives greater certainty and clarity to people in existing agri-environment agreements. It also removes the burden of having to apply for an extension each year.