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THE RURAL STEWARDSHIP SCHEME

Appendices

Photo: P&A Macdonald - SNH

Appendix 1: Conditions Relating to the Aerial Application of Asulam for Bracken Treatment Under the Rural Stewardship Scheme

An obligation is placed upon anyone undertaking aerial application of pesticides to seek consents from SEPA, the Local Water Authority, SNH and the Local Authority Environmental Services.

Prior to aerial spraying, the applicant, or a person designated on the applicant's behalf, is required to:

• Consult SEPA at least 72 hours prior to aerial spraying if the application is to be made within 250 metres of any water. It is the responsibility of SEPA to consult with the Local Water Authority on the applicant's behalf.
• Consult SNH at least 72 hours prior to aerial spraying if the land to be treated lies within a designated conservation site or within 1500 metres of one.
• Give Give notice of the intended aerial application to Local Authority Environmental Services not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before the proposed application.
• notice of the intended aerial application to local beekeepers and potentially affected schools, hospitals and other institutions.

SEPA have now produced a standard multi-agency application form that can be used to notify and seek consent from each statutory consultee. Applicants can obtain this form from the local SEPA office.

As soon as the Scheme participant has prepared the detailed BEP Management Plan, the standard multi-agency application form should be completed and submitted (with a copy of the BEP Management Plan scale map showing the area(s) to be treated) to SEPA and copies sent to SNH and the Local Authority Environmental Services. . It is now SEPA's responsibility to consult with the Water Authority and it has been agreed that this will entail SEPA sending the local Water Authority office a copy of the completed multi-agency application form. In practice, it will usually be the contractor who submits the forms to these statutory consultees. The applicant, or person designated on the applicant's behalf, will need to allow the consultees at least 15 working days (21 calendar days) to consider and respond to the application for consent. In its letter of consent, SNH will indicate whether or not it is attaching a revised BEP Management Plan map; any revised map should be clearly marked as such, then certified and dated by the SNH officer responsible for its revision. Letters of consent, the final version of the BEP Management Plan with SNH-approved map must be submitted to SERAD with the properly completed claim for the first year's BEP management payment. Such a claim cannot be considered valid unless accompanied by the required documentation. Once these consents have been secured and submitted to SERAD, the applicant (or contractor) then only requires to contact SEPA and the Local Authority Environmental Services orally no less than 24 hours before spraying operations are due to begin.

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