Rural Payments and Services

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This item is eligible when you are erecting a new deer fence or when you are modifying an existing deer fence in black grouse and capercaillie core areas where your supporting information justifies enhancing / modifying a deer fence to meet the option objectives.

This standard cost includes labour and fence visibility marking materials as outlined below.

Fences must be within one kilometre of an active capercaillie lek, or within two kilometres of an active black grouse lek.

The application for this standard cost requires a supporting statement from the local capercaillie project officer or RSPB advisory officer. If there is a capercaillie / black grouse management plan for the site this should be included.

When modifying an existing fence, you must make sure that the fence line is capable of taking the extra strain, has an appropriate top wire, and has struts in appropriate positions. All fencing woodwork should be treated.

Specifications supported by this cost are:

• orange plastic ‘snow fence’ netting: UV-stable, 1.2 metres wide
• UV stable orange netting one or two strip(s) of, 600mm or 300mm wide
• 640mm x 52mm* metal droppers @ one dropper per metre minimum
  (* Other sizes can be used but must be agreed with woodland officer. For example, on high elevation fences it may be better to use 150mm x 100mm metal droppers, alternating with longer droppers, to reduce the sail effect)
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal @ 300mm apart**
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal @ 600mm apart** and anti-bird strike flaps @ three per metre minimum
  (** Use short runs of closer marking or 1.8 metre material instead of 0.9 metre for locations suspected to suffer more bird strikes; for example, sections of fences across the end of rides or sections of fences running through high quality habitat patches.)

Details on choosing the correct specification above can be found in Fence Marking to Reduce Grouse Collisions.

Your local capercaillie / black grouse project officer or RSPB advisory officer can provide advice on the siting of fences to reduce potential problems and the most suitable fence marking to use.

We require this item to be in place, meeting minimum specifications and in good order for a period of at least five years following the date you received your payment.

Fence Marking to Reduce Grouse Collisions

Forest Research: Technical Guide: Forest Fencing

Please make sure you abide by conditions set out in the Forestry Grant Scheme claim form and guidance.

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