A £16 MILLION 10-year scheme to help New Forest commoners and improve wildlife habitats has passed its first anniversary check with top marks, and there is more to come.

The New Forest Higher Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) provides £1.6m a year towards forest conservation.

Marking the first 12 months, Official Verderer Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre told the Verderers’ Court: “I am happy to report that we have undergone our first annual HLS health check and we have passed with flying colours.”

Half the money goes to the Verderers’ Grazing Scheme and the balance goes to forest protection and restoration.

In his report, HLS chairman Mr Crosthwaite-Eyre said payments to commoners for putting their cattle, ponies and pigs on the forest to graze for conservation purposes have “proved to be an extremely effective way of supporting the viability of commoning”.

The agisters, who maintain the health of stock, have benefited through new equipment including Land Rovers and trailers, mains water, toilets and washdown facilities, which are being provided at Beaulieu Road sale yard and schemes to protect the New Forest pony breed are to continue.

Mr Crosthwaite-Eyre also said: “Natural England has made it plain in its recent health check report that the wetland restoration projects in the Forest over the next nine years are critical to the success of the HLS as a whole.”

Those proposals planned for 2011 include works at Fletchers Water, Latchmore and Ditchend Brook.

“By the end of the scheme it is anticipated that up to £7m will have been spent on restoring areas of the open forest,” he added.

Two forage harvesters have been bought and will be used to harvest or spray invasive bracken this year.

Money has been given to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to conduct trials to remove alien species from ponds and marshland. In addition a four-year programme of ditching work to keep the forest car-free has been agreed.

More cash will be directed at education, an aerial survey will identify more archaeological features and the first survey of bird species will be carried out this year.