CURRENT ISSUES OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT IN UKRAINE

The state policy in forest management, reforestation and forest conservation is formed mainly depending on the dynamics of socio-political and economic relations in a country, the degree of forest relations reforming and forestry activity compliance with scientifically grounded principles of sustainable forest management. The paper considers basic directions of forest relationships improvement and forest management system reforming in Ukraine. The forestry sector is needed to be reformed using European models of forest management on the basis of national experience and traditions of forest management in the country. The reformation must rely on the system of science-based recommendations. Improving forest relations and the system of forest management in Ukraine requires appropriate scientific and methodological grounds. The conceptual approaches to reforming the socio-economic system of the country as a whole should be considered methodologically in determining the tendency of forest management and forest relations. Therefore, the forest sector cannot be described as self-regulating closed departmental structure, excluding the impact of socioeconomic factors in Ukraine. In accordance with these principles and European forestry practices, the areas of improvement of forest relations and the system of forest management in modern conditions have been identified. The problem of improving the state policy on forest management, reforestation, and forest conservation covers a wide range of legal, economic, organizational, financial, and environmental issues and requires a comprehensive solution. Forestry sector development strategy has to be flexible; it should be periodically reviewed and adapted to changes in legal, social, economic and environmental conditions of the state taking into account the advanced world trends. A gradual transition of Ukrainian forest sector to European norms of forest management requires a series of measures on adjusting forest policy, improving state forest management, strategic planning and financing of forestry activity.