Farmers who want to join agri-environmental schemes and benefit from special Government grants are being offered a new set of advice leaflets to make the task easier to understand.

Natural England, the countryside quango, has issued four new leaflets compiled with help from various farming and conservation groups to encourage the growth in threatened bird populations; the spread of wildlife; cleaner rivers and better soil; and the protection of historic sites.

The advice leaflets have been drawn up after discussions with farmers and members of the newly formed Campaign for the Farmed Environment.

They are designed to held farmers contemplating joining Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) agreements, which offer grants in return for less intensive agricultural practice.

Robin Tucker, Natural England’s Executive Director for National Delivery, said: “If we are all to get the best possible results from ELS then it’s vital that farmers are given sound advice on what will be the most effective options for the environmental results they want to achieve.

Our new ELS leaflets have been developed with a host of experts to help farmers make informed choices about how they can maximise the environmental rewards for their hard work.

“The new leaflets provide the clearest information to date on how, by choosing the right mix of options, in the right locations, farmers can achieve the rewards they would most like to see.”

The leaflets can be downloaded at http://naturalengland.etraderstores.com/NaturalEnglandShop/ne229