Resource information
Under this statute people are permitted to lease land and to bequeath its use to their heirs in perpetuity. Ownership of land is delegated to local soviets, which fix the prices for land rentals. While heritable land can be worked as property, it cannot be sold, granted or mortgaged. The drafting of more detailed rules on land tenure is delegated to the Union republics, within the framework laid down by the statute. In practice, farmers will henceforth be free to choose between being collective farm members or individual farmers. Provisions of principle cover the setting aside of land for nature preservation, recreation, and timberland, water and forestry preservation purposes. The principle of compensation of legimate property interests in land - expressly including timberland- which were to be curtailed in the public interest is also enshrined in the statute. Particular attention is given to the conservation of productive soils. To this effect, obligations are placed on possessors and users of land, complemented by economic incentives. A public land registry system is contemplated as a means of recording the legal status of land-holdings.
