Forests and forestry in Ukraine: Standing on the brink of a market economy

Abstract

The breakup of the former Soviet Union has provided increased opportunities for exchanges between foresters in the United States and those in the former Soviet Union. Foresters in Ukraine manage state forestlands for many of the same goods and services as do foresters in the United States, but under a significantly different system. All forests in Ukraine are state-owned, and harvest activities, where permitted, are strictly regulated. Transition to a market economy in the forestry sector is considered by the State Committee on Forestry to be a matter of great importance, but strong state involvement in regulations relating to environmental protection will certainly be a part of that transition.