Appendix 3 - Glossary
Agreement land
All land on which Entry Level or Organic Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship management prescriptions apply, including items within a Capital Works Plan.
Agri-environment schemes
Schemes under EC Regulation 1257/99 which offer grants for measures to conserve and enhance the countryside. The main schemes are Environmental Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Countryside Stewardship and Organic Farming.
Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)
Action plans to conserve and enhance biological diversity within the UK for our most threatened species and wildlife habitats.
Capital works
Works in an agreement attracting one-off payments - for example, hedge laying. Usually part of a Capital Works Plan.
Capital Works Plan (CWP)
The capital works to be carried out during specified periods of your agreement. Capital Works Plans will usually be for two to three years.
Common land
Land where management rights are vested in a number of individuals.
CRoW Act
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Strengthens the legislation on the protection of SSSIs (see below) and introduces new rights of access on foot to open countryside (mountain, moor, heath, downland) and commons.
Defra
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Derogation
Agreed temporary relaxation from the specified requirements in an agreement.
EIA Regulations
The Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (England) Regulations 2001.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999.
Environmental Information map
The map which Defra will send to you, with your personalised application form, showing designations on your land such as SSSIs, Scheduled Monuments and Less Favoured Areas.
Environmental Stewardship
Replaces Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship Schemes from 2005. Has three elements - Entry Level Stewardship, Organic Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship.
Farm Environment Plan (FEP)
Records features identified on your land together with a statement on their condition. Suitable HLS management options may also be suggested. Must accompany an application for HLS.
FER/FEP map
The map of your land, sent to you by RDS, which is used as a basis for your combined Farm Environment Record and Farm Environment Plan map, which you return to RDS with your completed application form.
Farm Environment Record (FER)
A simple record of the features on your land, required as part of the ELS or OELS element of your agreement. As a condition of your agreement, you agree to retain the features identified.
Field Data Sheet
Annex 2 of the HLS application form, on which you have entered your ELS and HLS non-rotational in-field options. (Rotational options and management plan options are entered on annex 3 of the application form.)
'Force majeure'
A breach of your agreement caused by unusual or unforeseeable circumstances or because of events beyond your control and which could not have been avoided by reasonable action.
Historic parkland
A designed landscape, usually with mature trees set in pasture.
'Indicators of success'
Agreed between you and your RDS adviser, these will help you judge whether particular management is achieving the desired results and, where necessary, help you to fine-tune your management to allow for variations in conditions between years and between different areas of your land.
Joint Character Area
One of 150 areas of the English countryside, each with a characteristic association of wildlife and natural features. In each of these areas there will be priority targets (see below) for the management of a variety of features. Your HLS application will be scored against these targets.
Leaching
The process by which percolating water removes nutrients from the soil.
LFAs
Less Favoured Areas - where the natural characteristics (geology, altitude, climate, etc.) make farming difficult.
Livestock unit (LU)
A measure of grazing pressure, allowing stocking rate comparison between livestock types. Grazing livestock units are calculated according to conversion factors which vary according to the type of animal.
Mosaic
A number of vegetation types within a given area, often having increased value through association with each other.
Non-rotational options
Management options which remain in the same place on your land for the duration of your agreement.
Options map
The maps of your land which you send back to RDS, with your completed application form, on which you have marked the options you wish to enter into ELS or OELS and HLS. These will usually include both land management options and capital works.
Overgrazing
Grazing of land which significantly reduces the growth, quality or species composition of vegetation (other than vegetation normally grazed to destruction) on that land.
Poaching
Severe damage to the sward caused by concentrations of livestock.
Pollarding
The traditional practice of cutting all the branches from a tree, usually willow, at about six feet above ground so that the re-growth cannot be eaten by stock. The harvested timber was used for a variety of purposes.
Plantation
Woodland where most of the trees have been planted.
Priority targets
The targets against which your application will be scored. Details of the targets applying to your land will be included with your application form. If your application does not address any of the targets for your area, it will be rejected.
Rotational options
Options which can be moved around your land during the course of your agreement, e.g. skylark plots, wild bird seed mix plots, conservation headlands.
RDS
Rural Development Service.
RDS adviser
Adviser responsible for giving advice on Environmental Stewardship to applicants, agreement holders and other organisations.
RLR
Rural Land Register, a database of land parcels and areas within England, managed by the RPA. For land to be eligible for HLS, it must be registered on the Rural Land Register.
RPA
Rural Payments Agency, an executive agency of Defra responsible for the CAP payment functions, formerly delivered by Defra and the Intervention Board.
SPS
The Single Payment Scheme. A decoupled subsidy payment replacing the ten major Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payment schemes, one of the major reforms of the CAP which comes into effect in 2005.
SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Supplements
Annual payments, to cover additional work needed for the management of specific habitats.
Targeting statement
A statement, agreed with local organisations, setting out the priority targets in your area. Part of your application pack. Your application will be scored against these targets.
Traditional building
Farm buildings of historic landscape value.
Undergrazing
Where annual growth is not being fully utilised, or where scrub or coarse vegetation is becoming evident, and this is detrimental to the environmental interests of the site.
Page last modified:
30 June, 2005
Page published: 3 March, 2005