The Murmansk Region is set to launch the Arctic Hectare program on August 1, 2021, and over 700,000 hectares of land will be allotted.

“A program for allotting Arctic plots of land, due to begin on August 1, 2021, covers 630,000 hectares of forests and 110,000 hectares of other plots of land for any activities not against the law,” the Region’s Minister of Property Relations Viktoria Minkina said at a government meeting.

The Murmansk Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Fisheries will allot forests under the Arctic Hectare program. The Ministry of Property Relations will provide all other plots of land. These plots should be located near cities, towns and villages. The Kola District provides the largest territories. It will be impossible to obtain plots at restricted-access territories, priority development areas, priority socio-economic development areas, at specially protected nature zones, at military cantonments and border areas, as well as defense facilities.

It takes just 45 days to process each request and to provide the applicant with a one-hectare plot of land. During this time period, each plot is formed completely and included in cadastral maps and lists. Local residents will be allowed to choose the desired territories on a priority basis. Six months later, all other Russian residents will be able to apply for local plots.

In April 2021, the Russian Government submitted a bill allowing Russian citizens to obtain Arctic plots of land under the Far Eastern Hectare program to the State Duma. The bill also allows people who have already developed their plots to obtain another hectare of land.