Agri-environmental Schemes
Environmental Stewardship Scheme
The Environmental Stewardship (ES) scheme was introduced in March 2005, partly in response to the Curry Report, and has replaced the Broads Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme. Essentially ES is a two-tiered scheme, and comprises the Entry Level Environmental Stewardship (ELS) and the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship (HLS).
The ELS is wholly new, while the HLS incorporates the most successful elements of the existing Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Countryside Stewardship. The ELS is widely available and not restricted to specific features, habitats or landscape types, whereas HLS is a national scheme, but owing to limited funding available, is available on a discretionary and strongly targeted basis.
Previously, agri-environment schemes were agricultural in nature, with environment added on. By comparison the new ES scheme has five primary objectives:
- Wildlife conservation
- Promotion of public access and understanding
- Protection of the historic environment
- Maintenance and enhancement of landscape quality and character
- Natural resource protection
Flood management and genetic conservation are secondary scheme objectives and can also be adopted where they contribute to one or more of the primary objectives.
