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Fortieth Anniversary of Russia's First Nature Conservation Law

Forty years ago, on October 27, 1960, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic adopted Russia's first law "On Nature Preservation in the RSFSR" (Vedomosti Verkhovnogo Soveta RSFSR – News of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet, 1960, #40, p. 586). This law was in force for more than 30 years before being supplanted by the new (current) RSFSR Law "On Preservation of the Natural Environment" (paragraph 6 of the Resolution of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet, 12.19.91 #2061-1).

The 1960 law was the first the only general legislative act that functioned within the Russian Federation for three straight decades: no federal law like it has been adopted, despite the efforts of environmental lawyers and concerned citizens.

Russia's first nature conservation law was what is now called a "framework act". It regulated the main issues of conservation of natural objects (land, minerals, waters, forests and other kinds of vegetation, fauna, air, natural protected territories, etc.) and included the basic standards of responsibility for violations of the law, of natural conservational census and control, of sanitary protection and participation of non-governmental organizations in nature conservation.

The RSFSR Law "On Nature Preservation in the RSFSR" was ahead of its time and played an enormous role in establishing and developing nature preservation and exploitation regulation in Russia and throughout the Soviet Union. It became the basis for the system of corresponding regulations – for specific natural objects as well as environmental legislation in general.

The legal norms for the preservation of particular types of natural resources were developed on the basis of the 1960 Law "On Nature Preservation in the RSFSR". These norms became part of different versions of the land, water, forest codes and regulations on minerals. This same law became the foundation of entire sub-branches of legislation, including sanitary, epidemiological, wildlife and air regulations.

The 1960 law was the first time that issues of conservation of typical landscapes, rare and spectacular natural objects, federal nature reserves, recreational landscapes, forest park protective belts and suburban green zones were legislated. Later these issues were included in more detail in the new legislation on natural protected territories and recreational landscapes.

Clause 18 of the Law is worth mentioning. It calls for compulsory environmental education in secondary and high schools.

In my opinion, professional lawyers, Russian citizens and federal decision-makers alike should be grateful for Russia's first law on nature protection and the norms and principles it established.

V. L. Mishchenko, PhD
President of Ecojuris Institute of Environmental
Law Winner of the 2000 Environmental Goldman Prize

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