Topicality. In the context of sustainable development as the leading concept of the modern stage of human development, in particular ecological, economic and related social aspects, there are contradictions of various nature in different economic sectors and social spheres. In case of social exacerbation, these contradictions turn into a conflict form, namely in the form of environmental, including natural-resource and other conflicts. Their timely resolution is one of the requirements of national and, in particular, environmental safety. In the sphere of recreational nature management, the issues of contradictions and conflicts are certainly relevant and need improvement both from a theoretical point of view and in terms of formation of organizational-economic instruments for resolving relevant conflict situations. Aim and tasks. The purpose of the study is to summarize and analyze the provisions that underlie the formation of principles and instruments for managing recreational nature use in the context of resolving the contradictions of sustainable development. Research results. The article deals with the methodological principles of nature management research (as a key category for understanding the contradictions of sustainable development), namely: the principle of genetic unity of nature and society, the principle of mediating the role of social production in the relationship "society - nature", the principle of nature reproduction. Theoretical provisions on ecological contradictions and conflicts, in particular regarding recreational nature use, are generalized. The classification of instruments for resolving the contradictions of ecologically sustainable development (both in general and in certain ecological-economic sphere, in particular, recreational use of nature) is proposed, namely: economic (financial-credit: subsidies, grants, preferential credits; preferential and discriminatory taxation of services and products, and the use of resources; environmental insurance; payments for pollution and nature use; accelerated depreciation of environmental funds; price instruments), administrative (decisions of territorial bodies, departmental prohibitions; regulatory framework, in particular, limits on pollution and use of resources, etc.; environmental audit and expertise; environmental monitoring; environmental and natural resource target programs; permits and licenses for any kind of environmental activity; instruments for resolving natural resource conflicts), social and psychological (promoting non-monetary forms of the market; environmental education and training; public pressure; environmental consulting; resolving environmental conflicts) and organizational. Conclusion. In the paper theoretical views that reveal the essence of recreational nature use in the context of contradictions of sustainable ecological and economic development are generalized. The principles of analysis of contradictions related to the methodology of nature use in its extended and narrow interpretations are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the fact that, in the aggravated state, ecological and economic contradictions become ecological conflicts. In the example of the Black Sea region, environmental conflicts related to tourism and recreation are actualized; positive is the fact that their share in the structure of all ten kinds of environmental conflicts is negligible. The classification of organizational-economic instruments for resolving the contradictions of sustainable development, which are adapted to the sphere of recreational nature use, in which, in particular, along with the traditional economic management instruments, are presented organizational and socio-psychological tools for resolving environmental conflicts.