The article reveals the process of the development for the New Project of Forest Code in the Republic of Belarus, which is aimed to optimize the management of protected forests with conservation it’s functions (it is one of the task for prepared Strategic Plan of Forestry Development for the period 2015-2030). The current system of forest classification into protection categories  was determined by legislation 30-50 years ago and doesn’t consider present social and environmental importance of forests, doesn’t meet enough principles of the international classification of forests.

Evaluation of wood resources stocks and finding balance between environmental and economic components of multi-purpose forest management were tasks to authors of New Project Code. The article describes positions of NGOs, scientific community and decision makers on the New Project of Forest Code. The article presents comparative analysis of  forests function (biodiversity conservation, social services, wood production, etc.) in Belarus and European countries, dynamic of transformation forest area from production forests to protected forests and government expectations, concerning the plants and enterprises modernization for improvement economic returns from forestry.