Grants for Contiguous Nature Areas at Natura 2000 Sites

The purpose of the scheme is to support the Natura 2000 plans for linking and protecting vulnerable habitat types against marginal effect in Natura 2000 sites. The efforts include the five habitat types: petrifying spring, alkaline fens, species-rich nardus grasslands, semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrates andxeric sand calcareous grasslands

Efforts are made by permanently extensifying areas between the five mapped habitat types, which one seeks to link and protect against external influences because they are vulnerable. The purpose of the extensified areas is thus to create better conditions for nature by creating larger cohesive extensified areas and reducing the impact of agricultural operation.

Contiguous areas in Natura 2000 sites are part of the agreement of the Food and Agriculture Package. In 2018 and 2019, DKK 10 million was allocated annually. Grants are financed by national funds from the Ministry of the Environment and Food. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency administers the scheme.

The grant can only be sought by private landowners. The area for which grants are applied for must be at least 1 ha and located directly adjacent to one or more of the 5 designated habitat habitat types.

The grant scheme compensates for cessation of intensive operations such as tillage, fertilization and spraying. It is a requirement that the permanent extensificationof the project area is registered. The amount of the lump sum payment is shown below: 

• Land in rotation DKK 55,000 / ha
• Permanent grass DKK 28,000 /ha
• Nature areas DKK 4,500 /ha (payable as de minimis) 

See further information about the grant scheme here. 

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has chosen to extend the grant scheme in 2020 and 2021 because of a great interest in the scheme. The financial framework for 2020 is DKK 10 million.  In 2018, Natureman provided support to about 100 farmers to prepare applications for the scheme.

In 2018, 114 applications for funding were submitted nationwide, of which 92 were prepared by Natureman. In 2018, the scheme resulted in a permanent set-aside of 210 hectares of agricultural land by 12 applicants. 7 applications and 149 ha located in the Natureman area. In 2018, the complementary financing amounts to approx. DKK 6.1 million. Read more about the 2018 results here.

In 2019, 23 applications for funding were submitted nationwide. 20 applications were prepared by Natureman. All applications were granted in 2019. The commitments result in a permanent extension of 342 ha at national level, of which 297 ha are located within the Natureman area. In 2019, the complementary financing amounts to approx. DKK 8.7 million. Read more about the 2019 results here.