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Paragraph 12

Changes not yet applied. Later legislation changes this provision in ways not yet written into the text below:

The crofter, farmer or common grazings committee shall prepare and agree with the Secretary of State a comprehensive conservation plan for the land, implement the terms of the plan and keep the operation of the plan under review. Each conservation plan will cover a 5 year period of the Scheme and shall–

(a)

identify land and conservation features relevant to the requirements in paragraphs 1 to 11 above;

(b)

if appropriate to the croft, farm or common grazings committee, contain details of the following farming operations:–

(i)

a grazing plan and other measures necessary to conserve, enhance or extend areas of native woodland, amenity woodland and scrub and, if the crofter, farmer or common grazings committee so wishes, limited amenity planting of trees;

(ii)

a grazing plan and other measures necessary to conserve, enhance or extend areas of wetlands and water margins;

(iii)

a grazing plan and other measures necessary to conserve or enhance areas of machair and dune grassland;

(iv)

a grazing plan and other measures necessary to conserve, enhance or extend areas of herb rich unimproved grassland;

(v)

if the crofter, farmer or common grazings committee so wishes, a grazing plan and other measures necessary for the regeneration and subsequent retention of heather, other upland vegetation and heath on specified areas of rough grazing;

(vi)

if the crofter, farmer or common grazings committee so wishes, measures to restore dykes and stone fanks to standards consistent with conservation interests;

(vii)

if the crofter, farmer or common grazings committee so wishes, measures to improve the condition of features or areas of historic or archaeological interest;

(viii)

if the crofter or farmer so wishes, the introduction or continuation of an arable cropping pattern which will conserve or enhance the environmental diversity of a maximum of 4 hectares of inbye land by restricting cultivations such as ploughing, harrowing and rolling to the period between28th Februaryand15th May,or any date which may be specified by the Secretary of State following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage, except for root crops, where nests must be located and avoided during operations;

(ix)

if the crofter or farmer so wishes, the introduction or continuation of measures designed to protect breeding birds on fields managed for hay, silage or arable silage by–

(aa)

creating early cover for birds;

(bb)

not rolling, harrowing or spreading after1st May,or any date which may be specified by the Secretary of State following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage;

(cc)

removing grazing by1st June,or any date which may be specified by the Secretary of State following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage;

(dd)

cutting after31st July,or any date which may be specified by the Secretary of State following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage; and

(ee)

cutting in a method that causes minimal damage to young birds.