National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)NoticesAdoption and Implementation of the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework Standard, 2025 and the Exclusion of identified activities from the requirement to obtain an Environmental AuthorisationChapter 3: Environmental Management Specifications6. Farm-level management plan |
| (1) | The farm-level management plan must include— |
| (a) | a locality map; |
| (b) | the farm use map; |
| (c) | the farm management map; and |
| (d) | management measures that meet the outcomes as contemplated in Annexure 4. |
| (2) | The farm-level management plan must— |
| (a) | use the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework as baseline information,including the base map; |
| (b) | be prepared by an environmental assessment practitioner with specialist input from a botanist, an agricultural scientist and a GIS specialist; |
| (c) | be informed by a ground truthing exercise; and |
| (d) | take cognisance of any relevant guidelines published for the interpretation of this Standard. |
| (3) | The ground truthing exercise must— |
| (a) | be undertaken by an environmental assessment practitioner, a botanist, an agricultural scientist and a GIS specialist; |
| (b) | ground truth the portion of the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework Map contemplated in Annexure 2 that applies to the farm unit; and |
| (c) | make adjustments to the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework Map contemplated in Annexure 2 and be represented as the farm use map. |
| (4) | The farm use map must— |
| (a) | delineate the farm according to land use categories that are consistent with Annexure 3: Table 3.7 of the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework as follows: |
| (i) | cultivated lands; |
| (ii) | land to be cultivated; |
| (iii) | areas to be protected; and |
| (iv) | protected areas; |
| (b) | be delineated and signed off by an environmental assessment practitioner, a botanist, an agricultural scientist and a GIS specialist. |
| (5) | The farm management map— |
| (a) | must further delineate the farm unit into clearly identified subcategories of the land use categories contemplated in Annexure 3: Table 3.7 of the Sandveld Environmental Management Framework as follows: |
| (i) | subcategories of cultivated land as follows: |
| (aa) | existing irrigated agriculture; |
| (bb) | existing dryland agriculture; and |
| (cc) | land to be rehabilitated; |
| (ii) | subcategories of land to be cultivated as follows: |
| (aa) | proposed irrigated agriculture; and |
| (bb) | proposed dryland agriculture; |
| (iii) | subcategories of areas to be protected as follows: |
| (aa) | critical biodiversity areas; |
| (bb) | ecological support areas; |
| (cc) | other natural areas; and |
| (b) | must be delineated and signed off by an environmental assessment practitioner, a botanist, an agricultural scientist, and a GIS specialist. |
| (6) | The farm-level management plan must include management measures— |
| (a) | as recommended by an environmental assessment practitioner, a botanist, and an agricultural scientist to maintain and improve the overall ecological status of the farm unit; and |
| (b) | that include, as a minimum, measures that address the outcomes contemplated in Annexure 4. |
| (7) | The proponent— |
| (a) | must manage the farm unit in accordance with the farm use map, the farm management map and management measures that make up the farm-level management plan; |
| (b) | may only cultivate land in areas identified as "cultivated land" and "land to be cultivated" on the farm use map. |
| (8) | The proponent may not clear indigenous vegetation in the areas identified as "areas to be protected" and "protected areas" on the farm use map and in accordance with the subcategories of the farm management map. |
| (9) | The proponent must use method statements that clearly outline how the requirements contemplated in the farm-level management plan will be executed. |
| (10) | Method statements contemplated in subparagraph (9) must be in place before commencing with the clearance of indigenous vegetation and must be made available on request. |
| (11) | The proponent must notify the competent authority of the intended commencement of excluded activities, at least seven days before the commencement of the excluded activity. |