On 25 February 1976, the Guyana Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, and Paula Adams of Peoples Temple, signed a land lease granting the use of 3852 acres in the Northwest Region of Guyana to the Temple’s agricultural community. The initial lease period of 25 years took effect almost two years retroactively – as of 10 April 1974 – and established the initial rental for the land at 25 cents per acre, an amount which could be renegotiated every five years for the duration of the lease. The lease also allowed extensions of its terms for additional 25-year periods.
The lease has numerous handwritten changes – including a reduction in the rent from a crossed-out rate of $2.00 per acre – but most of its terms, including provisions for the use of the land and authorization of access to the property by Guyana government officials, remained intact.
Guyana Land Lease, RYMUR 89-4286-A-31-a-21a – A-31-a-21c (This is the best available copy)
PDF
Text