Your chance to speak out on farming and wildlife in our region

As custodians of the land for future generations, your voice is vital.

Shape the future of our countryside: share your thoughts and help develop a strategy for land and nature in Northumberland, Newcastle, and North Tyneside.

Whether you manage a large-scale farming operation, a small farm, or a cherished piece of land, your perspective is vital. Please spare a few minutes to respond anonymously to this survey, which is being commissioned through an independent organisation.

This is not a one-off chance to participate, but part of an ongoing project to shape the future for wildlife in our varied and precious area.

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* 1. Are you?

A landowner >100ha

A landowner 20-100ha

A landowner <20ha whose principal income comes from farming activities

A landowner <20ha whose principal income comes from non-farming activities

A tenant

Other (please specify)

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* 2. Where are you based? (Please refer to the map).

Border Uplands

Cheviot Fringe

Mid Northumberland and Tyne Gap

North of Tyne Lowlands

North Pennines

North Northumberland Coast

Marine

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* 3. When you think about the wildlife in your area, which habitats do you think are the most important to focus on in Northumberland, Newcastle, and North Tyneside? Please rank them by importance top to bottom, with the top being most important.

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* 4. Activities that maintain or improve these areas for wildlife may have other benefits. Which of the following additional benefits do you think are important?

Carbon capture and storage (reducing greenhouse gas emissions)

Reducing flood risk

Reducing air pollution

Reducing freshwater pollution

Supporting pollinators

Reducing coastal/marine pollution

Reducing soil loss

It attracts income or saves money

Other (please specify)

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* 5. Please tell us which species on your farm or surrounding area are important to you.

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* 6. Which of the following would you like to do on your landholding to support wildlife?

rewet areas of peat

create wetlands and/or ponds

plant trees and/or hedgerows

keep more areas of long vegetation/scrub

introduce wildflowers

reduce pesticide/ herbicide use

Other (please specify)

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* 7. What are the most important things you are currently doing to help wildlife on your landholding?

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* 8. If any part of your landholding is managed specifically to benefit wildlife, please give details

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* 9. What prevents you from undertaking activities to help wildlife on your landholding?

Waiting to see what happens with Stewardship, Sustainable Farming Incentive (etc.)

Not being able to discuss ideas with my family, and the next generation

Not being able to discuss ideas with my neighbours

Not being able to discuss with my land agent (or other advisor)

Not knowing what is best in the right places

Too many confusing grants

The length of time some agreements would be for

I just like farming, I don't like having to think about all these new things

Other (please specify)

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* 10. If you would like to elaborate on anything above, please do so here:

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* 11. If you have tenants, in what ways are you able to support them to take action to benefit wildlife?

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* 12. If you are a tenant, in what ways does the owner of the land you tenant support you in taking action to benefit wildlife?

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* 13. Are you currently in an agri-environment scheme?

Yes

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* 14. What would help you to do more to benefit wildlife on your landholding?

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* 15. What would you like to see others doing to help wildlife in Northumberland, Newcastle, and North Tyneside?

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* 16. How can better communication and collaboration be facilitated between farmers, landowners and others involved in land management?

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* 17. Are you involved in a farmer cluster or facilitation group and/or do you collaborate with your neighbours to take action to benefit wildlife?

Yes

No - but am considering

No - and am not considering

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* 18. What is the question you wished we’d asked, but didn’t and how would you answer it?

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* 19. Would you be willing to take part in a 30-minute conversation about your thoughts and ideas for benefiting wildlife on your land - or more widely - with an independent interviewer? Interviewees may choose, after the interview, either to have their details passed to Northumberland County Council or to remain anonymous. If you would like to take part, please complete your contact details:

Name

Email Address

Phone Number

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* 20. Would you like help or advice on how to benefit wildlife on your land? If 'yes', please make sure you add your contact details in box 22 below, or you can email lnrs@northumberland.gov.uk

Yes

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* 21. Would you like a site visit to talk through your ideas? if 'yes', please make sure you add your contact details in box 22 below, or you can email lnrs@northumberland.gov.uk

Yes

Not at the moment

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* 22. If you said 'yes' to Q20 or Q21, please enter your name, email address and phone number, or you can email lnrs@northumberland.gov.uk Details added here will be passed on to Northumberland County Council who would then send you information or offer a site visit.

Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Thank you for taking the time to feed back your thoughts.

Your privacy and the security of your data are important to us. Our organisation complies with Data Protection regulations and General Data Protection Regulation. Our privacy statement can be found here:
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