CIGL2 — Winter bird food on improved grassland

This action’s aim is that there’s improved grassland, which is maintained so it’s left to go to seed during the autumn and winter months. The purpose of this is to provide winter food for farmland birds.

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s: - an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information) - registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps - declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01

You must maintain improved grassland entered into this action. To maintain the improved grassland, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes: - cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed - leaving it un-grazed after the final cut for silage and hay If you’re already maintaining improved grassland, you can use it to get paid for this action if it: - meets this action’s requirements - is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option GS3 (ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds)

If you’re doing this action on the same area of land for its 3-year duration, you must: - start maintaining the improved grassland within 12 months of this action’s start date - continue to maintain the area of improved grassland in each subsequent year of this action’s duration If you’re rotating this action around your farm, each year of this action’s duration you must do the actions for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you: - follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’ - do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

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 - photographs or other documentation 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.