The strategic goal of the development of the Russian forest complex is to significantly increase its contribution to the national economy by creating an economically sustainable, private and globally competitive group of industries. For this, the products of forest sector of Russia should enjoy equal demand both on domestic and foreign markets. The basic branch of forest complex is forestry, which provides protection, reproduction of forests, regulation of forest man-agement and control over the use of forest resources. The Republic of Mariy El is not distinguished by the presence of a large number of industrially significant natural resources. The main natural wealth of the region is forest, which covers more than 50% of its territory. The forest-growing conditions of the Republic of Mariy El in most of its territory are favorable for the growth of valuable coniferous species. Extensive exploitation of the republic's forests is a difficult period of the beginning and the middle of the 20th century, traditional ways of managing in the forest, aimed primarily at selecting the most valuable timber; insufficient financing of reforestation, forest protection measures; as well as cur-rent market situation of timber currently lead to negative changes in species and commodity structure of the country's forest resources. The locomotive of the growth of the forest complex of the Republic of Mariy El is JSC Mari Pulp and Paper Mill, which largely covers its need for wood raw materials by importing it from outside the region. Enterprises-tenants of forest areas carry out the harvesting of timber and subsequent sale of products with low added value, which reduces the contribution of forestry industries to the economy of the region. Forest recreation should be a strategic di-rection for the development of forest management in the Republic of Mariy El.