Legal Problems and Directions of Public Administration Improvement in the Field of Forest Relations

Abstract

The modern system of public administration in the field of forest relations requires reviewing the existing and developing new theoretical and legal provisions and conceptual approaches that facilitate the balance between economic and social benchmarks for the use of forests along with the preservation of ecological potential of forests. In the context of intensification of the forest use, management activities cover a complex set of social relations, including not only forest management, reproduction, protection and rehabilitation of forests, but also a forestry complex that includes forestry and timber processing industries. Accordingly, state management in the field of forest relations should be seen in connection with the management of the forest complex. In the same way we should deal with the understanding and legal substantiation of the state forest policy constituting the foundation of the state forest management. The sphere of the state forest policy should include, along with the use, respect, protection and reproduction of forests, the forest complex. This approach requires improved strategic planning documents and other legal and political documents that will provide representation of the state policy in the sphere of forest relations and the forest complex, interrelation and harmonization of the provisions contained therein. An institutional framework of the state forest policy requires a comprehensive approach for improving the management system in these areas. It is necessary to clarify the competence and powers of special authorized bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of forest relations and forest complex. Forest areas and forest parks that are the basic territorial units of management in the field of use, protection, and reproduction of forests are included into the key problems of the regional forest management. In the absence of the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, the concepts of "forest area" and "forest park" are assigned different legal statuses by the participants of legal relationships, including their legal form, structure, competence and authority. Along with defining the legal status of forest areas and forest parks, and determining the legal status of forest warderns, it is necessary to improve the implementation of the Federal State Forest Supervision Service (forest protection). Also, it is necessary to resolve the problems with regard to implementation of the functions of state management in the sphere of forest relations, such as forest management, development, approval and implementation of forest plans, information support of forest management, forest certification, etc. In order to increase investment attractiveness of the use of forest plots, it is necessary to improve the legal support of the multipurpose forest management. The state management efficiency in the field of forest relations and forest complex requires improving the forest and related (natural resources, environmental, tax, etc.) laws.