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<p>To support the development of the future environmental land management schemes,
we are undertaking a number of tests and trials. We are working with a range of stakeholders
to facilitate the tests and trials, including farmer groups, representative bodies
and non-governmental organisations. Six tests and trials are focusing on access; details
on each are provided below.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>Kent Downs AONB, <em>Enhancing
access opportunities</em></strong></li></ul><p>The Kent Downs AONB is working with
two farmers and land manager groups to enhance access to landscapes and nature for
public benefit and co-develop a template of practical ways that the future schemes
can support better and more diverse access. Local trusted experts will be used to
work with farmers and land managers and their representative organisations and explore
existing best practice; experts in access health and wellbeing will be involved to
understand benefits and barriers. This test will run until June 2021.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>National
Trust, <em>Payments for Outcomes</em></strong></li></ul><p>The National Trust have
produced a manual of outcome-based measures, for a ‘payments for outcomes’ scheme.
It focused on upland priority habitats, pollinator health and soil health. It reviewed
and refined these measures considering lessons learned to date, drawing on current
work on natural flood management, public access and historic and landscape features
in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The test has now concluded.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>Cuckmere
and Pevensey Levels Catchment Partnership, <em>Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels Land Management
Pilot</em></strong></li></ul><p>The Cuckmere and Pevensey Level Catchment Partnership
is a well-established partnership which brings together 55 different farmers, the
local authorities, the water board, artists, and other stakeholders in the area. The
trial developed a landscape scale plan for the Cuckmere and Pevensey Catchment with
a wide range of partners, including local planning authorities, farmers and the local
community, aimed at delivering public goods including access. The plan was then used
to develop farm holding management plans. The trial has now concluded.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>The
Trails Trust, <em>How to incentivise green infrastructure access and biodiversity
creation</em></strong></li></ul><p>The Trails Trust is exploring the opinions and
potential solutions to creating, upgrading and maintaining infrastructure networks.
The trial will involve 50 farmers and land managers; facilitators will examine existing
data to identify access opportunities on the farmers’ holdings. The trial aims to
identify barriers to delivering access; potential solutions, including incentives
and mechanisms; what payment levels and mechanisms would be required to enable collaboration
across holdings; how could access be included as part of a land management plan. The
test is due to conclude in June 2021.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>South Downs National
Park Authority, <em>South Downs Farm Clusters</em></strong></li></ul><p>The South
Downs National Park Authority held a series of workshops to identify the format of
land management plans; what outcomes should be prioritised; what advice farmers and
land managers require; and what role farm clusters could play in scheme design and
delivery. This test concluded in December 2019. In the final report, public access
was cited as an area where farmers and land managers may require specialist advice.</p><p>
</p><ul><li><strong>Forestry Commission, <em>Urban Woodland Creation</em></strong></li></ul><p>The
Forestry Commission’s Urban Woodland Creation test seeks to develop and test a support
package aimed at encouraging community woodland creation and the management of urban
community woodland. The test will focus on establishing what public goods can be delivered
by urban and peri-urban forestry; assessing the benefits of public engagement and
access; and testing methods, activities and payment mechanisms for planting and managing
trees and woodland in an urban and peri-urban setting. The test is due to conclude
in May 2021.</p>
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