Legal definition of concept “forest” in Russian Federation

The concept of forest is viewed as a controversial issue. In the article, the author analyzes Russian legislation, which was established after the Soviet Union collapse. The part of legislature in focus profoundly affected understanding of the concept forest and the views of scientists and specialists on the matter. The legislation of our country, at different stages of its development, characterized the concept of forest differently. Forest is a very complex system, which is difficult to characterize accurately by means of a single definition, which could include all characteristics of this notion. This system includes various natural objects (land, minerals, vegetation, fauna, and atmospheric air). Every person understands the concept of forest in his own way: for some people it is good environment, for others it as a source of profit (for example, entrepreneurs see forests as a profitable commodity), for some it is an object of property rights and so on. As a result of the carried out research, the author came to a conclusion that the Russian legislation in force approaches the concept of forests as an aspect of environment.