Russian Federation

This chapter provides an assessment of the statutory legal definition of “forest” in contemporary Russia. In order to get a comprehensive picture, the chapter analyses the legal sources, the case law and the legal doctrine, addressing the notion of “forest”. The 2006 Forest Code provides a particularly interesting and valuable insight into some of the key problems regarding the general position of the State towards the forest. Its key focus is on regulation of land use, specifically allocation of land (‘forest parcels’ in terms of the new Forest Code).

The forest as an ecosystem and even as a resource is not a primary focus of the Code. In terms of definition, the Code addresses, but does not disclose the meaning of forest, making the focus of the forest legislation unclear. Such situation cannot help preventing illegal logging and organising efficient management of wild fires. The additional information, obtained from the case law and the legal doctrine, enhances and extends, by way of criticising and interpreting, the statutory approach to the notion of “forest”, and, generally, demonstrates the vital necessity in sharpening its legislative definition.