Paragraph 10

The farmer shall prepare and agree with the Secretary of State a comprehensive farm conservation plan for his land, implement the terms of the plan and keep the operation of the plan under review. Each farm 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 9 above;

(b)

if appropriate to the farm unit, contain details of the following farming operations:–

(i)

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

(ii)

a grazing plan and other measures within the catchment necessary to conserve, enhance or extend areas of specially identified wetlands;

(iii)

a grazing plan and other measures necessary to conserve, enhance or extend water margins, the margin of which must be at least 6 metres wide;

(iv)

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

(v)

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

(vi)

if the farmer so wishes, measures to restore dykes, stone fanks, hedges, hedgerow trees and ponds to standards consistent with conservation interests;

(vii)

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

(viii)

if the farmer so wishes, the creation of extended hedges or grass margins around fields to be used for rotational cropping by–

(a)

not cropping a strip of at least 2 metres width;

(b)

not applying chemicals or spreading fertiliser (including slurry) to a headland of at least 8 metres width;

(c)

applying any other management as appropriate;

(ix)

if the farmer so wishes, the creation of extended hedges around improved grassland fields by–

(a)

fencing at least 3 metres from the centre line of the hedge;

(b)

not applying chemicals or spreading fertiliser (including slurry) within 9 metres of the centre line of the hedge;

(c)

management of the strip in the interests of conservation.