Legal aspects of the use of land designated for forestry in Ukraine

Анотація

The aim of the work is to analyze the legal regime of forestry lands and existing mechanisms for forest restoration in Ukraine. The article examines legislative initiatives to regulate self-forested areas and conserve degraded lands as effective means of increasing forest cover and achieving an optimal rate of 20–22%, which corresponds to European standards.

The methodological basis of the study consists of general theoretical and empirical methods of scientific cognition. Dialectical, systemic, comparative-legal, formal-legal, and historical methods were applied. This approach made it possible to comprehensively analyze the legal aspects of the use of forestry land in Ukraine, assess its dual nature — as an object of land and forest legal relations — and propose ways to improve legislation.

Results. The study confirms that the legal regime for forestry land and the legal regime for forests are inextricably linked and form a single system. The use of these lands is a complex phenomenon regulated by the provisions of the Land and Forest Codes of Ukraine. The main task of forest management in Ukraine is to increase the level of forest cover, which currently stands at only about 18%. The paper proves that one of the key mechanisms for solving this problem is the afforestation of low-productive and degraded areas, as well as the legalization of natural self-afforestation. In particular, new legislative provisions are analyzed that allow for the acquisition of self-afforested land plots and changing their intended use.

Conclusions. The comprehensive use of legal instruments, including targeted afforestation, support for natural reforestation, and land conservation, is the most effective way to increase forest area. These approaches will not only raise forest cover to European standards, but will also promote sustainable forest management and address environmental issues.