Farmland, Grassland and Heathland

Lowland Acid Grassland

Objectives

Maintain the existing important areas of acidic grassland, encouraging appropriate management and promoting environmentally sensitive management of adjoining land.
Restore degraded areas of acidic grassland by promoting appropriate management.
Increase the amount of acidic grassland in appropriate areas by creation and re-creation.

Targets

Prevent any further net losses of good examples of unimproved acidic grassland by 2005.
Increase the amount of semi-natural acidic grassland by 20 hectares by 2010.
Seek appropriate management for 120ha (30%) of unimproved acidic grassland by 2005 and 400ha (100%) by 2015.

NB: For heathland / acid grassland mosaics see Lowland Heathland Action Plan.

Total achievements to date (November 1998 - March 2001)

Current Action

Protection and Policy

Lowland dry acidic grassland has been listed as a costed, key habitat in the UK Steering Group Report.
A number of sites containing unimproved lowland acidic grassland have been notified as SSSIs.
A number of sites containing unimproved lowland acidic grassland have been classified as Grade 1 SBIs.

Management, Research and Survey

Funding for grassland management; restoration and creation are available under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Ongoing research plots carried out by Staffordshire County Council to test methods of bracken eradication.

Acid Grassland

Action Plan

UK Lead Organisation:

English Nature

County Lead Organisation:

N/A

Policy

Ensure any examples of lowland acid grassland that meet the required criteria are given SBI status. (SBI Grading Committee)
Ensure appropriate lowland acid grassland sites meeting the SSSI criteria are designated. (EN)

Management

Seek to restore and create further areas of lowland acid grassland in appropriate areas. (DEFRA, FWAG, Mineral Companies, SWMHP, Developers, FoM, TNF, Landowners)
Ensure that no tree planting occurs in unimproved acidic grassland. (FC)
Seek to ensure that all good examples of lowland acidic grassland are appropriately managed through the uptake of agri-environment schemes. (DEFRA, FWAG)
Attempt to control the spread of bracken on acidic grassland sites. (Landowners)
Identify opportunities for habitat creation, giving priority to those that link existing sites. (SWT)
Create acidic grassland buffer zones, where necessary, around heathland sites. (SWMHP)
Identify prime areas of acidic grassland within heathland sites so that these areas can be retained and enhanced. (SWMHP)

Monitoring and Research

Re-survey all good examples of unimproved acidic grassland in 2005 and 2010 to assess their condition. (SBAP Partnership)
Seek to monitor the creation, restoration and management of this habitat throughout the County. (SWT)
bullet point (abb)

Advisory

Seek to ensure that all landowners are aware of any management grants which may be available for acidic grassland e.g. Countryside Stewardship. (DEFRA, FWAG, EN)
Promote the biodiversity and landscape value of unimproved acidic grassland to the public and landowners. (SBAP Partnership)

Acid Grassland, Staffordshire Moorlands

Complementary Plans