ARKHANGELSK, October 23. /TASS/. The Arctic Hectare program is expanded in the Arkhangelsk Region. Local legislators adopted a bill to add plots to list of lands under the program, the regional government's press service said.

"In compliance with the bill, the plan is to add to the list 117 hectares of territories in the region's five municipalities: 98.35 hectares in the Pinezhsky District, 14.21 hectares in the Leshukonsky District and 3 hectares in the Onezhsky District. At the same time, several sites in the Leshukonsky District and the city of Novodvinsk have been taken off the list as they cannot be provided for objective reasons. The new territories have been proposed by local administrations and approved by the Russian Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic," the press service said.

Most applicants for Arctic hectares plan to use the plots for individual housing construction, family farming or gardening.

The Arkhangelsk Region launched the program in 2021. Since then, 983 people have joined it, where 11 people have formalized ownership of the plots, having observed necessary conditions: they have built planned buildings and have been actively developing the territory. According to the law, this may be done within five years. If the land is used in good faith for 4 and a half years, the individual may formalize ownership or lease the plot for 49 years. If over that term the plot remains untouched, the right to it will be lost.

The Arkhangelsk Region has allocated 1,460 hectares for the Arctic Hectare program.