CSP3: Bracken control supplement
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£232 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

The aim of this supplemental action is to control the spread of bracken or remove existing dense bracken.

The purpose is to:
- maintain or restore the biodiversity value of the land
- allow different vegetation types to grow
- protect archaeological sites
Where you can do this action

You can only do this supplemental action on land with a suitable base action approved by your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer.

You should use this supplement after using the capital items:
- SB4: Chemical bracken control (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/chemical-bracken-control-sb4) – in exceptional cases only
- SB5: Mechanical bracken control (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/mechanical-bracken-control-sb5)
Your Natural England adviser will agree with you what other supplemental actions may be needed to meet the intended environmental outcomes. This could include:
- CCT6: Coastal vegetation management supplement
- CSP1: Difficult site supplement
- CSP2: Rewetting supplement
- CSP11: Manage scrapes and gutters supplement
- CSP12: Rhododendron control and management supplement
- CSP16: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (50 to 80%)
- CSP17: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
- CSP18: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (50-80%)
- CSP19: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
- CSP5: Shepherding supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP6: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly supplement
- CSP9: Support for threatened species
- CUP15: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 30% GLU)
- CUP16: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland (minimum 70% GLU) supplement
- CUP17: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland (100% GLU) supplement
- CUP18: Manage features for wildfire management (fire and fuel breaks) supplement
- CWS2: Manage and restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) supplement
- CWS5: Improve woodland resilience supplement
- CWS7: Manage historic features in woodlands supplement
- CWS8: Manage native woodland including ancient semi-natural woodlands (ASNW) supplement
- CWS9: Manage woodlands for flood and drought mitigation supplement
- CWT12: Wetland grazing supplement
Eligible land

Same as base action.

Available area you can enter into this action

Same or less than the base action.

Rotational or static action

Same as base action.

What to do

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:
- control bracken so that cover is reduced to a set proportion by a set date
- use temporary grazing controls to protect vegetation regeneration
- graze to break up litter beds and damage young fronds to offer extra bracken control
- control reinfestation during the term of the agreement
- carry out follow-up cutting or grazing management to your site
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to keep a monthly record of stock numbers.

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- photographs, associated invoices and field operations at the parcel level
- monthly record of stock numbers on the supplemental action area
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this supplemental action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
You may need to
- get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Countryside Stewardship Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

About bracken and where it grows

Bracken is a large species of fern that is a natural component of many habitats across most of England. It can:
- form mosaics with heathland, grassland and woodland
- add structure and variety to vegetation
- provide a habitat for nesting birds like nightjar and whinchat
- provide cover for the movement of other birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles
- provide habitat for fritillary butterflies and food for caterpillars of moths, such as the garden tiger, brown silver-line, small angle-shades, orange swift, gold swift, map-winged swift
Bracken grows on:
- deep, well-drained, acidic soils
- heathland, moorland, grassland and woodland
Managing bracken will:

help protect species that live in scattered bracken patches

increase wildlife biodiversity

restore habitats back to good condition, like heathland or species-rich grassland

stop or reduce the spread of bracken on to other habitats

increase woodland areas

Protect wildlife

Leave patches of bracken to allow:
- fritillary butterflies to breed
- twite to nest, particularly on steeper slopes
- reptiles to hibernate
Plan to reduce bracken cover over a period of years to reduce disturbance to wildlife.

Protect historic and archaeological features

Bracken rhizomes are vigorous and can penetrate down to 1 metre. They can damage historic and archaeological features and hide or limit access to sites.

If possible, try to:

remove all cut material from the site

plan work so that extraction routes are located away from historic and archaeological features

Managing bracken

Avoid:
- removing bracken on slopes where doing so could increase runoff, soil erosion and flooding
- negative effects on environmental features on the site – read the UK best practice guidance (https://www.nature.scot/doc/uk-best-practice-guidance-bracken-management) on bracken management
Bracken control will depend on:
- the size and location of the area
- if the bracken is scattered or in dense clumps
Decide if you need to:
- completely remove the bracken, for example, from an historic or archaeological feature
- limit its spread
- reduce its density and vigour
There are several ways to control bracken. Use a long-term strategy that’s appropriate for your site, For example:

making the area wetter where bracken is on peat or peaty soils

cutting frequently in the growing season (usually early spring to summer) where appropriate

rolling bracken in early spring

using livestock to trample bracken in late winter or early spring – remove livestock or provide alternative grazing when new fronds appear

removing or reducing bracken litter to avoid it growing back in nutrient-rich conditions or smothering species like heather

Evidence that bracken control is successful

You’ll see:
- a limit to the spread of bracken, and its removal from some areas
- little or no bracken on historic and archaeological features
- other native wild plants established on areas where you’ve cleared bracken
- ground nesting birds on the cleared areas