The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have released the first ‘Endorsed Action’, being GRH6; ‘Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland’. This is a 5-year SFI action that pays £646 per hectare/year.

This action will need to be ‘endorsed’ by a Natural England adviser. The adviser will check that the land you want to complete the action on is one of the following:

• Existing Priority Habitat Species-Rich Grassland – it does not  

      need to be mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI).

• Has potential for the restoration or creation of priority habitat

      species-rich grassland.

If your land is below the moorland line and listed on DEFRA’s magic maps as one of the following it may be eligible for GRH6 subject to endorsement.

• Lowland calcareous grassland

• Lowland dry acid grassland

• Lowland meadows

• Upland hay meadows

• Purple moor-grass and rush pasture

At £646 per hectare this action is the highest paying action available on grassland. If you think you have land that would be suitable for this action please do get in touch.

We would suggest that applications for species-rich grassland are submitted separately to other SFI action applications, as the endorsement process could take some time and may needlessly delay the rest of your application.