Strategic approaches for the regulation of the use of land resources

Abstract

International strategic documents emphasize the necessity to preserve and rationally use lands suitable for agriculture. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania notes that the preservation of agricultural land is a public interest protected by the Constitution. However, having analysed the state of the use of land resources it was defined that the area of agricultural land in Lithuania had decreased by 21.7 per cent during the period of 1990-2010. The formation of the stable land holdings isn’t over yet – farms growing agricultural production have to acquire on the rights of ownership or to lease for a long time about 1.6-2.0 million ha of private or state-owned land. Land management projects necessary for the works of the management of the landscape of agrarian territories are not prepared. The objective of the investigations is to analyse the changes of our country’s main agricultural land areas and submit proposals concerning the regulation of the rational use of the land used for agricultural purposes by legal and organizational measures. The authors of the article suggest correcting the Law on Land and other legal acts when foreseeing stricter conditions for the transfer of agricultural land for other purposes or the conversion of them into non-agricultural land. In order to increase the area of the used agricultural land it is suggested to carry out the inventory of abandoned lands when locally determining the further use possibilities of these plots as well as to apply state measures stimulating the start of the use of abandoned areas. All rural subdistricts are suggested to prepare integrated agricultural and rural development projects. The data of the land information systems first of all should be prepared and rendered to farms and organizations connected with agriculture – for the use of agricultural production and the planning of the land improvement works