Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to improve the quality of moorland habitat by restoring heather in areas which would originally have supported heather but have become dominated by dense Molinia grass.

Restoring heather will lead to a more diverse vegetation structure that will benefit moorland birds, such as black grouse, and other wildlife.

Land that is rough grazing with dense Molinia grass is eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

You must identify the location of the proposed heather restoration on a 1:10,000 map.

• you must destroy the existing Molinia vegetation by spraying with a systemic herbicide such as glyphosate
• you must destroy the resulting dead material and leaf litter by either burning or cutting. If burning is to be undertaken out with the muirburn season you must hold an out of season muirburn licence from NatureScot
• you must sow the area with heather seed
• you must exclude livestock from the area subject to management for at least two years following seeding
• you must keep photographic evidence of the site before and after treatment as part of your claim
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim £259.00 per hectare restored.

This item may be combined with the Heather Restoration - Follow-up Molinia Control item.

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the work
• you have destroyed the existing Molinia vegetation by spraying with a systemic herbicide such as glyphosate
• you have destroyed the resulting dead material and leaf litter by either burning or cutting. If burning is to be undertaken out with the muirburn season you have an out of season muirburn licence from NatureScot
• you have sown the area with heather seed
• you have exclude livestock from the area subject to management for at least two years following seeding
• you have kept photographic evidence of the site before and after treatment as part of your claim
• you have maintained a diary

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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