Countryside Stewardship was introduced as a pilot scheme in England in 1991. Payments were made to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve English landscapes, their wildlife and history and to help people to enjoy them. The scheme closed to new applicants in 2005, and the final agreements expired in 2014.
At the time Countryside Stewardship was the Government’s main scheme for the wider countryside, aiming to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside, enhance, restore and re-create targeted landscapes, their wildlife habitats and historical features, and to improve opportunities for public access.The CSS Monitoring Programme was undertaken between 1997 and 2000.