CWS1: Deer control and management
Defra — Sustainable Farming Incentive
Award
£105 per hectare (ha) per year
Deadline
Rolling — apply any time
Where
England
Summary
What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.
Full details
This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance before you apply. Duration 10 years How much you’ll be paid £105 per hectare (ha) per year Action’s aim This action’s aim is to reduce the harm deer are causing to priority species and habitats. The purpose is to support priority species and habitats by allowing them to thrive. Where you can do this action You can only do this action on eligible land where: • native or naturalised deer (European roe deer, red deer and fallow deer) are causing harm to priority habitats and species • invasive non-native deer species (Chinese water deer, Reeves muntjac or sika) are present You should do this action on the same land as a habitat creation or management action. You must get approval from your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer to do this action if you’re not doing another habitat creation or management action on site. Eligible land You can do this action on land that’s: • an eligible land type • registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps • declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code Arable land used to grow crops Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops Temporary grassland Arable land TG01 Land lying fallow Arable land FA01 Permanent crops other than nursery crops and short rotation coppice Permanent crops TC01 Short rotation coppice Permanent crops SR01 Nursery crops Permanent crops NU01 Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01 Cliff Coastal features CF01 Vegetated shingle Coastal features CF02 Sand dunes Coastal features CF03 Bracken, heather and heathland Heath land and bracken HE02 Heap Heaps – permanent HE03 Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 2) Inland water IW02 Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 3) Inland water IW03 Shingle Inland wetland IW05 Fen, marsh and swamp Inland wetland IW06 Bog Inland wetland IW07 Salt marsh Marine wetland MW01 Tidal areas Marine wetland MW02 Reed bed Marine wetland MW03 Intertidal habitats Marine wetland MW04 Saline habitats Marine wetland MW05 Non-agricultural area or feature which is temporary and likely to change over time (ineligible area) Non-agricultural area NA02 Scattered rock Notional features NF01 Scattered bracken or heather Notional features NF02 Scattered scrub Notional features NF03 Scattered water features Notional features NF05 Scattered natural features Notional features NF06 Scattered manmade features Notional features NF07 Scattered features – mixed Notional features NF08 Gallop Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT01 Track – natural surface Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT03 Sports and recreation Recreational land RL03 Golf course Recreational land RL04 Scree Rock RO02 Boulders Rock RO03 Rocky outcrop Rock RO04 Storage area Storage areas SA02 Watercourse – ditch, drain or dyke Water/irrigation features WF01 Pond Water/irrigation features WF03 Woodland Natural woodland WO12 Residential garden Natural woodland WO17 Scrub Natural woodland WO25 Available area you can enter into this action Total or part of the available area in the land parcel. Rotational or static action This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration. What to do Your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland manager will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document. To get paid for this action, you must: • put up an agreed number of deer monitoring structures (‘exclosures’) in year 1 of your agreement • carry out the agreed level of culling set out in your species management plan • carry out habitat impact assessments in years 1, 5 and 10 of your agreement When to do it You must do this action each year of its duration. Evidence to keep You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including: • habitat impact assessment reports • evidence of culling activity and cull numbers supported by photographs, when requested • any bank statements, receipted invoices, consents, or permissions connected with the work Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. Scheme Action or option code SFI 2024 actions CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, CAHL4, CIGL3, BFS1, BFS2, BFS3, BFS4, BFS5, WBD3, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8, OFC1, OFC2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM2, OFM3, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, OFA1, OFA6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, AHW1, AHW3, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, AHW11, AHW12, CMOR1, UPL1, UPL2, UPL3, UPL7, UPL8, UPL9, UPL10, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CLIG3, GRH1, GRH6, SCR1, SCR2, HEF5, HEF6, HEF8, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, GRH2, GRH3, GRH4, HEF4, WOD1, ORH1, COH1 SFI 2023 actions SAM1, SAM2, SAM3, MOR1, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, IGL1, IGL2, AHL4, IGL3, LIG1, LIG2 CSHT actions CGS20, CGS19, CGS18, CGS22, CGS21, CHS2, CGS4, CGS25, CGS26, CUP2, CUP3, CUP8, CUP9, CUP10, CUP11, CUP12, CUP13, CUP14, CWD1, CWD2, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CWS3, CSP21, CSP20, CSW24, CSW23, CSW15, CSW16, CSW22, CSW12, CSW25, CSW21, CPAC1, CSW7, CSW8, CSW13, CWD20, CWD22, CWD21, CWD8, CWD7, CSW17, CSW19, CSW18, CSW20, CWT10, CWT14, CWT13, CAGF1, CAGF3, CAGF2, CAGF4, CBE4, CBE5, CCT8, CCT9, CCT2, CCT10, CCT3, CCT4, CCT7, CCT5, CLH1, CLH2, CLH3, CHS3, CHS4, CHS5, CHS6, CHS9, CHS7, CAB18, CAB19, CWT1, CWT2, CAB16, CAB17, CAB5, CAB2, CAB6, CAB7, CAB10, CAB14, CAB11, CWD3 CS options AB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB3, AB4, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, BE1, BE2, BE4, BE5, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT7, GS1, GS10, GS11, GS12, GS13, GS14, GS2, GS3, GS4, GS5, GS6, GS7, GS8, GS9, HS2, HS3, HS4, HS5, HS6, HS7, HS9, LH1, LH2, LH3, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR2, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT1, OT2, OT3, OT4, OT5, OT6, SW1, SW10, SW11, SW12, SW13, SW15, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, UP1, UP2, UP3, WD1, WD10, WD11, WD12, WD2, WD3, WD4, WD5, WD6, WD7, WD8, WT1, WT10, WT2, WT6, WT7, WT8, WT9 ES options N/A You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action: • CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4 • SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD2 • SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3 • CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows) Consents, permissions and licensing requirements To apply for this action, you’ll need: • a species management plan agreed with the Forestry Commission and Natural England (if your application includes non-woodland habitats) • Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments • consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) • licence A16: to shoot deer during the closed season or at night if you intend to do this as part of your management plan You may need to: • get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land • get any other wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER). If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent. Capital grants to support this action If you need to complete an implementation plan, species management plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for funding through capital grants plans funding. You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you. Advice to help you do this action The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do. About wild deer All species of deer are mostly found in woodland settings. Read the Forestry Commission’s operations note 59: management requirements for woodland supplement CWS1 Deer control and management. Managing deer impacts Your species management plan will give details of the management actions you’ve agreed with your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission deer officer or woodland officer. Manage impacts by shooting You can only use lethal control by shooting to control deer when they are: • causing damage • invasive non-native species Your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission deer officer or woodland officer may invite you to a deer management awareness course. Deer are protected and may not be shot during their close seasons. If you require a licence to shoot them during the close season or at night read Natural England’s guidance on capturing and shooting deer to make sure you have the correct licence to carry out this activity. Have regard to legislation and good practice relevant to the actions you carry out, such as: • the Deer Act 1991 • UK Firearms legislation • relevant food regulations in respect of handling of carcases to enter the food chain, or disposal of carcases in an approved manner when contaminated and not suitable for human consumption • the Deer Initiative best practice guides