Manage rough grassland for upland breeding waders

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