Recreational forestry: ecological and economic assessment and development prospects

The article discusses the prospects of recreational forestry and its socio-economic efficiency. In recent years the popularity of recreation and tourism on the territory of the Russian Federation, including in forests, has increased. Forests are not only a source of wood and other raw materials, but also a place of recreation for the population of large cities who want to restore physical and mental health. On the example of the Leningrad region, the author shows the high importance of recreational forestry. It is proposed to expand the areas of recreational forests not only in four forestry areas marked as promising in the forest plan of the Leningrad region, but also those forests that are located near large horticultural arrays. As an example, the "Chashcha" and "Novinka" horticultures, located in the Gatchina district of the Leningrad region near the state nature reserve "North of the Mshinsky Swamp", are considered. The article concludes that the organized use of forests will reduce the anthropogenic load and suggests directions for further research to identify additional criteria for selecting forests for recreational needs.

recreational forestry, forest fund, forestry efficiency, forestry income