The application window for the Habitat Wales scheme has opened on 29 September 2023 with 12-month contracts offered, commencing 1 January 2024.
Applications will be submitted via your RPW online account and will be farmer led, i.e. there will be no contract managers visiting farms.
The new scheme, Habitat Wales, will provide an alternative offer of support to all eligible farmers, including Glastir Advanced, Commons and Organic farmers when their contracts end on 31 December 2023.
Aims of the Habitat Wales scheme:
- protect habitat land previously under management in 2023 up to the full introduction of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2025
- introduce additional habitat land, not currently under paid management, into sustainable land management prior to start of SFS
- maintain environmental support for common land
The scheme will be open to all eligible farmers and Grazing Associations.
Land Classifications
There will be three eligible land classifications:
- land currently under a habitat option within a Glastir Advanced contract (including Glastir Commons)
- habitat land (excluding designated sites), not currently under management in 2023, as identified by published maps on DataMapWales
- land managed as habitat. (This land has potential to become habitat land following management.)
Management payments for designated sites within existing Glastir contracts will be maintained, however, designated sites, not currently under a Glastir contract will not be eligible for payment under the Habitat Wales scheme.
Further information and how to apply for the scheme can be found here: Habitat Wales Scheme | Sub-topic | GOV.WALES