CFE County Priorities for Cumbria
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CFE County Priorities for Cumbria 1. Aim This document has been drawn together by the CFE Local Liaison Group for Cumbria with input from all LLG members and their respective organisations. The aim is to ensure that all advisers and partners have a clear, concise and consistent message about the aims of CFE in Cumbria that can be used by farmers and landowners to ensure their actions deliver maximum benefit to the environment. The action undertaken on each farm may differ depending on the farm type and enterprise. 2. County Overview Cumbria is the second largest county in England. The landscape ranges from the extensive uplands of the Lake District, North Pennines and northwestern fringe of the Yorkshire Dales to the lowlands of the Eden Valley, the Solway Basin, West Cumbria Coastal plain and the peninsulas of Morecambe Bay Limestones character areas. A substantial part of the county lies within the Less Favoured Area, including large areas that lie above the moorland line. Outside the LFA, the lowland areas of Cumbria correspond to Grade 2 and 3 of the Agricultural Land classification Cumbria is a predominantly agricultural county, having 4,768 holdings, most of which are owner- occupied, family-run businesses. In terms of the CFE, dairying, beef and sheep are the key agricultural enterprises with 711 dairy farms and 1282 lowland grazing livestock holdings in the county in 2010. Arable production is generally restricted to small-scale cropping for supplementary livestock feed although there are a few commercial arable holdings in the central and lower Eden valley and Solway coastal areas. In addition to the main farming enterprises, there are a specialist poultry and intensive pig holdings. Cumbria has also seen a substantial increase in farm diversification following the FMD epidemic in 2001. Diversified enterprises include free range egg production and livestock breeding for fibre production including alpacca and angora goats. Programme Office will insert expiring ELS agreement figures 3. County designated sites and partnerships Cumbria has a high environmental profile. There are several important landscape designations in addition to numerous sites designated for their significant ecological interest. The majority of the landscape designations relate to the upland areas of the county but a small part of the Lake District National Park extends down to the coastal plain of West Cumbria. A proportion of North Cumbria is designated as the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and part of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB extends into South Cumbria. There are 278 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Cumbria, of which 178 are designated for their biological interest. Many of these correspond to upland habitats but the lowlands of Cumbria support numerous mosses that are designated as SSSIs. Many of these and other lowland SSSIs are also Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Farming practices on the catchments of these mosses have a significant effect on the ecological quality of the majority of these mosses. Areas designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ, surface water) in Cumbria are mainly located within the Central Eden Valley and sections of the Solway coastal plain. A Local Nature Partnership (LNP) has been established over the whole of Cumbria. Part of the Morecambe Bay LNP also extends into the southern part of the county. Other designations include 25 National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and over 1,600 County Wildlife Sites (CWS). 4. County Priorities The following sections aim to define the county priorities by theme. a) Theme: Priority farmland habitats and description Priority Habitats on Issues CFE Voluntary Cumbria Farms Measure • Mature, high Aim to encourage VM17 - Field wildlife value hedgerows, maintenance and corners with traditional hedgerow restoration of hedgerow management (North (and associated boundary Cumberland and features) linkages between Westmorland styles). other habitats (semi- natural woodlands, river wildlife corridors) • Mosses – (basin Many mire habitats in the VM1 - Grass buffer mires, lowland raised lowlands of Cumbria are in strips next to a mires) unfavourable / poor watercourse or pond; ecological condition - VM2 - In-field grass partly due to inappropriate strips to avoid erosion; management of adjoining VM3 - Management of agricultural land. maize to avoid Aim to improve erosion; management of farmland VM4. - Watercourse surrounding mosses. fencing; VM17 - Field corners VM19 - Fertiliser free permanent pasture • Semi-improved, These habitats are often VM6 – Wildflower mix species-rich grassland and limited in extent but VM19 - Fertiliser-free lowland meadows. relatively important sites permanent pasture for traditional grassland plants and associated invertebrates including pollinators. Lowland meadow habitats are very rare in the county. Actions required: • Promote sympathetic hedgerow management through farm walks, association with existing hedgerow management events/competitions. • Promote resource protection, nutrient management and other appropriate agricultural practices, e.g., livestock management, to reduce detrimental inputs on the catchments of moss sites. Work with Solway AONB Wetlands Project. • Promote sympathetic grassland management (avoid nutrient enrichment, overgrazing) of semi-improved grassland areas and their benefits to pollinators (see below). b) Theme: Priority species and requirements Species Requirements CFE Voluntary Measure Pollinators Maintenance /restoration of VM6 – Wildflower mix (honeybees, grassland habitats (field VM7 – Pollen & nectar bumblebees, solitary margins, corners, banks and mix bees, hoverflies, other semi-improved areas) VM8 – Legume and beetles, butterflies that support pollinating herb rich temporary and moths) invertebrates grass VM13 – Unsprayed and/or unfertilised cereal headlands VM17 – Field corners VM18 – Beetle banks VM19 – Fertiliser free permanent pasture VM21 – Selective use of spring herbicides Farmland birds Curlew Nesting and feeding habitats – VM 9 – Ryegrass seed for birds Lapwing mosaic of open tussocky VM 10 – Wild bird seed mix Grey partridge vegetation cover, year round VM 12 – Lapwing plots Skylark food supply from mix of crops VM 15 – Over wintered stubbles Tree sparrow VM 16 – Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds Any specific action required: • Potential for a series of (spring/summer) farm walks to promote issues associated with priority species • Work with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, through projects such as ‘meadow life’ to promote importance of pollinators and appropriate conservation measures for them. c) Theme: priority river catchments Catchment Priority Issues CFE Voluntary Measure River Eden and Tributaries Water quality and SSSI failure on Key approach to dealing with sub-catchments. Diffuse pollution the range of issues throughout from manure, fertiliser and soil run- the priority river catchments is off, sedimentation. to raise awareness and Rivers Waver and Bathing water at risk of failing understanding of the farming Wampool European standards, shellfish industry initiatives – tried and waters failing to meet guideline Tested and the Voluntary standards due to faecal indicator Initiative and codes of good organisms (FIOs) from sources agricultural practice. including diffuse pollution from agriculture (DWPA). VM1 - Grass buffer strips next West Cumbrian FIOs impacting on Bathing Waters, to a watercourse or pond; Catchments Failing SSSI status (nutrient inputs VM2 - In-field grass strips to affecting freshwater pearl mussel avoid erosion; population), impact of FIOs on the VM3 - Management of maize local bathing waters. to avoid erosion; Bassenthwaite Lake DWPA (build-up of phosphorous, P VM4. - Watercourse fencing; and sediment in Bassenthwaite VM17 - Field corners Lake. SSSI sub-catchments affected VM19 - Fertiliser free by P and sediment. Part of permanent pasture catchment within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) River Duddon Bathing Water non-compliance under revised Bathing Water directive (rBWD) Rivers Kent and Leven DWPA on SSSIs and Ramsar site, Leighton Moss and Hawes Water and water quality in Windermere Lake, FIOs effects on the Shellfish Waters of Morecambe Bay Actions required: • Majority of county now well covered by CSF measures so main scope is to continue to work with local CSF Officers. • Work with Eden, West Cumbria and South Cumbria Rivers Trusts to promote good farming practices, raise awareness and understanding of nutrient management benefits. • Promotion of Tried & Tested approach to improve nutrient management / reduce nutrient run-off associated with farming activities, Encourage adherence to Voluntary Initiative, to encourage good practice in pesticide use and reduce impact of pesticides on environment. 5. Action Plan CFE Local priority Delivery action Delivered by Target area Hedgerows and Promote ongoing CFE Partners Eden Valley and associated boundary sympathetic hedge Solway and West habitats management – including Cumbria Coastal post ELS agreement Plains management Mosses (mires) Advice to promote CFE Partners, Solway AONB Solway Basin, Eden management that Valley reduces/eliminates nutrient enrichment of the habitats Semi-improved Advice to promote CFE Partners Eden Valley and West (vulnerable) grasslands sympathetic management Cumbria Coastal Plain of existing semi-improved grassland and restoration / creation of species-rich grassland habitats Pollinators Events focused on CFE Partners, Cumbria High Priority Areas – management to