Farmland, Grassland and Heathland

Lowland Acid Grassland

UK Lead Organisation:

County Lead Organisation:

N/A

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.

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)

Protection

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, Monitoring, Research and Survey

Funding for grassland management; restoration and creation are available under Environmental Stewardship.
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)

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)

Further Information