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GRH1

GRH1: Manage rough grazing for birds

£121.00

per hectare · yearly

info Summary

Manage rough grassland by grazing or cutting to create a varied sward height, wet features, and minimal scrub to provide habitats for upland breeding birds.

format_list_bulleted What to do

Manage grassland through grazing or cutting to create a varied sward height and wet features for birds. There are strict prohibitions on applying fertilisers, manures, pesticides (with exceptions), and carrying out activities that disturb breeding birds or damage drainage.

schedule When to do

This action must be performed every year for the entire 3-year duration of the agreement.

checklist How to do

The method is flexible, provided all mandatory requirements are met and the actions taken are reasonably expected to achieve the aim of creating suitable habitats for birds.

description Evidence Required

You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:

  • field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
  • a grazing activity record if livestock are grazed on the area
  • photographs and other documentation to show management undertaken

If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

tips_and_updates Additional Advice

Advice suggests choosing open, undisturbed sites with wet features. Manage the sward through grazing to create varied heights, especially very short grass. Maintain wet features to provide muddy edges for feeding waders. Control scrub, bracken, and dense rush outside of the bird breeding season.

View Official Guidelines

Access detailed information about this action on the RPA website

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SFI 2026 Announcement

Read details about SFI 2026 changes, definitions, and what to expect on the Defra farming blog

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