Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)
Funding
Contact funder
Location
England
Applications
Open until 31 March 2029
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier pays farmers and land managers to protect, restore, or improve the environment on their land. It covers woodland, farmland, nature reserves, SSSIs, commons, and scheduled monuments. You can only apply if you have been invited to get pre-application advice from Natural England or the Forestry Commission. The scheme runs until 31 March 2029.
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- Must have received an invitation to get pre-application advice from Natural England or the Forestry Commission
- Must be a farmer or land manager in England
- Land must be eligible, such as SSSIs, commons, woodlands, or scheduled monuments
This is for farmers and land managers in England who manage environmentally sensitive land, such as SSSIs, commons, woodlands, or scheduled monuments. You must have been invited to receive pre-application advice from Natural England or the Forestry Commission. It is not open to anyone who has not received that invitation.
Regions
Full details from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs / Rural Payments Agency
CSHT pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that protects, restores or enhances the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change. It can be applied to woodland, farmed land, land managed for nature, or a combination, including SSSIs, commons, woodlands, and scheduled monuments. The scheme rolls out by invitation, with Natural England or the Forestry Commission providing pre-application advice.
You must first receive an invitation from Natural England or the Forestry Commission. They will provide pre-application advice before you can proceed. Applications are managed through the Rural Payments Agency.
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