A COUNTY Durham farming couple this week became the first outright winners of an award in memory of a prominent environmentalist.

Maurice and Kath Toward of Herdship Farm in Teesdale were presented with the David Arnold-Forster Trust award on Wednesday for managing their farm for business and wildlife.

The award, with £750 and a bronze sheep trophy, is in memory of Mr Arnold-Forster, a former chief executive of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, who was brought up in Skipton.

In December 2000 the then Agriculture Minister, Nick Brown, appointed him chairman of the Government's task force to see how it could help hill farmers develop sustainable enterprises. In January 2002, he was popularly appointed chief executive of English Nature and it was during his second year of office that he died, aged 46.

The David Arnold-Forster Trust was set up in his memory and on Wednesday the first two hill farming awards, sponsored by English Nature, were presented.

A special message of support from the Prince of Wales was also received along with the announcement that the trust had been awarded charitable status.

John Varley, trust chairman, said: "David was passionate about addressing the need for action to sustain the landscape and wildlife, which are now as valuable a product as the stock hill farmers traditionally produce.

"He encouraged, through quiet yet powerful diplomacy, those around him to think and behave differently and do remarkable things."

Mr and Mrs Toward have been tenants of the Raby Estate at Herdship Farm since 1967; before that Mr Toward's uncle and father farmed it. The 232-hectare farm supports 400 breeding ewes and 125 followers and a small suckler herd of 12 Limousin X cows.

It is a haven for black grouse, lapwing, yellow wagtail, redshank, snipe and golden plover, which have virtually disappeared from nearby farms. The rare Teesdale gentian is among flowers found in meadows protected within a site of special scientific interest.

North Country Cheviot sheep are kept as part of the breeding stock and traditional breeds of cattle are being looked at to graze rushes and similar rough pasture to create ideal conditions for lapwings to nest.

Runners-up were Robert and Sarah Helliwell of Upper Booth Farm, part of the National Trust's High Peak Estate. The farm covers 329 ha of improved and semi-improved pasture, hay meadows, rough grazing and moorland.