This paper presents a draft bill concept of the Federal Law “Forest Code of the Russian Federation”, which proposes some new approaches to public forest management improvement. The related questions had been discussed during scientific debates held by the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on forests in 2015–2019.

The goal of the draft bill concept is to modernise the forest law of the Russian Federation to bring it in line with changes in the state of forests, their increasing role in climate regulation and other ecosystem services, as well as the further development of market relations in the Russian economy. The Concept Paper is based on an idea of a transition from the use of natural forests as a source of timber to the organisation of economic activities aimed at the cultivation of highly productive forest stands on available forest land, and on understanding of importance of natural forests for conservation of biodiversity and ecological ecosystem services.

Suggestions aimed at developing economic mechanisms to ensure forestry profitability in a market economy, both through forest products and ecosystem services, make up an important part of the Concept Paper. Approaches to the further development of public and private forest management, which will improve the efficiency of forest use, protection, conservation and regeneration, are outlined. Legal mechanisms for improving the public forest management system and forms of state and business participation in forest management are proposed.

Gagarin, Yu.N., 2020. Draft bill concept of the federal law “Forest Code of the Russian Federation”. Forest Science Issues, 3 (3). http://dx.doi.org/10.31509/2658-607x-2020-3-3-1-45