Maintenance of heritage meadows

The Land Maintenance Bureau handles the heritage meadows in the Environmental Board. 

Task of the Land Maintenance Bureau is to:

• Organize the restoration of semi-natural biotic communities
• Organize the maintenance of semi-natural biotic communities 
• Advise land managers
• Check support areas
• Organize information days and training courses.

Videos of seminatural grasslands

• Short overview of semi-natural grasslands in Estonia - YouTube (3 minutes)
• Restoration of semi-natural grasslands in Estonia - YouTube (3 minutes)
• Maintenance of semi-natural grasslands in Estonia - YouTube (3 minutes)
• Restoration of the most species-rich areas in Estonia – semi-natural grasslands - YouTube (10 minutes)
• Maintenance of the most species-rich areas in Estonia – semi-natural grasslands - YouTube (10 minutes)

Each landowner can check from the service of the Land Board whether a valuable heritage meadow, i.e. a semi-natural biotic community is located on his or her land.

In order to increase the area of heritage meadows and preserve the diversity of species and traditional landscape characteristic of Estonia, the state supports the restoration and maintenance of semi-natural biotic communities.

Restoration of heritage meadows

Semi-natural biotic communities outside the maintenance usually need to be restored first as the areas are covered with brushwood, reeds, sods. Conditions are created for the formation of meadow flora. The following are subsidised as restoration activities:

• Removal of reed
• Removal of brushwood
• Reducing the tree canopy cover
• Crushing sods

The Environmental Board supports the restoration of the semi-natural biotic community by means of nature conservation subsidy.  In addition, the Environmental Board organises the restoration of meadows by means of various projects.

Read more about the LIFE project WOODMEADOWLIFE (PuisniiduLife) activities from project website.

Depending on the condition of the semi-natural biotic community, restoration can take 1-4 years. Restoration must be followed by maintenance of the semi-natural biotic community for at least five years.

Maintenance of heritage meadows

It is essential to continue the maintenance of the areas already under maintenance in the protected areas as these areas are the carriers of biodiversity and gene pools, where species characteristic of heritage community can preserve and spread.

The maintenance of heritage meadows is supported by maintenance subsidy of semi-natural biotic communities, which takes into account more specific requirements for meadows and aims to improve the condition of the species related to heritage meadows and to preserve and increase biodiversity and landscape diversity. 

The maintenance of semi-natural biotic communities is supported within the framework of the Rural Development Plan, and the activities supported within the framework of maintenance subsidy are:

• Grazing
• Mowing and cleaning the hay

The application for subsidy is submitted in accordance with the regulation of the Minister of Rural Affairs via the electronic client portal e-PRIA from 2 May to 21 May. Late applications can be submitted from 22 May to 15 June.

The subsidy is processed by the Agricultural Registers and Information Board. The Environmental Board approves the application and sets conditions for the areas to be maintained.

Maintenance plans of heritage meadows

Maintenance plans for semi-natural biotic communities have been developed in cooperation with the Environmental Board, experts and scientists. They contain important information about the conservation values of different habitat types as well as about maintenance and restoration techniques.

Action plan of heritage meadows

An action plan of heritage meadows has been drawn up for planning the meadow conservation measures for 2021-2027.