SFI Moorland Assessment: Using Digital Technology to Secure Future Opportunities

The Foundation for Common Land this month (June 2023) has launched a phone based Digital Moorland Survey Tool. This will enable commoners and moorland managers to undertake the new SFI Moorland Assessment scheme efficiently and cost-effectively.

SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) is one of three elements of the government’s new Environmental Land Management schemes.Defra’s SFI Moorland scheme pays £16.45/ha/ year on commons and £10.30/ha/year on non-common moorland. Therefore, a 1000ha common can earn an extra £16,450 per year on top of their existing Higher Level Stewardship or Countryside Stewardship scheme. No land management changes are required as the scheme pays for an assessment of soil depth and vegetation cover.

Commoners with this phone app are able to undertake the moorland survey themselves so keeping the funds in their own communities while developing their knowledge and skills. This enables them to have more informed conversations with Natural England and to better assess the options for future income generation from ELM e.g. through Countryside Stewardship, SFI, or Landscape Recovery.

Having completed the Road Testing of this scheme with three upland commons the Foundation for Common Land was keen to support Commons Associations and moorland managers enter SFI Moorland Assessment. Hence we have developed the Digital Tool Service.

The App works on Android or Apple phones and doesn’t require mobile phone signal while you are collecting the data as all data can be synced later. Your common or moor can be divided into as many areas as you choose so each commoner or owner has their own patch with a separate colour for each person’s allocated points. Points are allocated on one point per 10 ha as required by the Defra.

Rather like google maps, the app enables you to navigate between points. Once you are in the right position then you take a measurement of how deep the soil is and answer a series of questions on a drop-down menu. Finally, you take a photo in the app which is then linked to that point.

The use of the Digital App will cost 60p plus VAT per hectare with support provided by the Foundation for Common Land. The survey is based on the Mergin App. We recommend that the downloaded data is then analysed with the user-friendly Land App mapping package– also free to use.

1) How do I get Mergin and Land App?

You download the Mergin App onto your phone for free and Land App desktop is free to use. You pay 60p/ha/year to cover the generation of the survey points, storage of the data and photos as well as analysis of the data and maps to enable you to identify public goods and the opportunity to enhance them.

2) Who needs to download Mergin?

Each person surveying points on the moorland will need to download Mergin onto their phone so we can share the project with them.

3) Can I use the Digital App Tool Mergin offline?

Yes, Mergin works outside of phone signal and Wi-Fi. You download the map and survey points onto your phone before going into an area with no signal. Once you are back in phone signal you can sync the map to update it.

4) What support is offered during this project?

FCL offers full support for any issues you may have with this process through phone, email and zoom.

5) Who owns the data that is collected?

You own the data that is collected. We need access to it as we will be storing it in our Mergin workspace and analysing it for you but we will not pass it to any other parties.

6) Can this be used on both common and non-common moorland?

Yes, it is applicable to both and we can provide the service to non-common moorland. There are significant opportunities for hill farmers to broaden their income streams by delivering for nature, climate, and water. Good baseline data is essential.

Through the Our Upland Commons project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are now further developing the digital survey tool to include more ecological data for the assessment of priority habitats. The Foundation for Common Land’s ambition is to encourage the continuation of vibrant commoning across England while enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of common land. Alongside providing practical tools we continue to advocate to Defra for enhanced ELM payments that properly reward farmers for delivering for nature, climate, water, access, and cultural heritage.

Click to register: SFI Moorland Digital Tool