Written by Fiona Torrance, Farmland Biodiversity Advisor
As spring crops are drilled and lambs frolic amongst the grass, many land managers across Scotland are enduring their busiest time of year. Once this period is over, some may wish to consider evaluating their planned habitat management works for the year, and indeed the future. The good news is that not only can the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Scottish Advisory Service assist with this, but there is up to £1,600 available from the Scottish Government, which can be put towards the cost.
The Farmland Advisory Service (FAS) provide grants to registered landowners to assist them as they make significant changes in the management of their business. One of these is the Specialist Advice plan for biodiversity, habitat and landscape management, which GWCT Scotland staff are accredited to undertake. These advice plans focus on helping a business to become more ecologically resilient and sustainable in the long-term.
The format of these Specialist Advice plans can vary depending on the client’s requirements, but our biodiversity assessment service provides an excellent overview of the current condition of the site and suggests recommendations for future improvement. Recommended activities may include sustainable farming practices, increasing a specific species, or how to manage a particular landscape. More details on these can be found in the blog I wrote earlier this year or here.
Specialist advice plans are open to all farming and crofting businesses, provided they are registered with Scotland Rural Payments and Services and hold a Business Reference Number with IACS. Up to two specialist advice options will be funded per business excluding VAT (where this is payable by the business), with £1,600 available for each plan. For further information please see the FAS specialist advice website.
To enquire about this service, please contact us at scottishadvisory@gwct.org.uk. We would recommend contacting us in advance of completing the FAS application to discuss your requirements and if any additional costs will be required.