Order No. 494 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology validating the Regulation on harvesting of food forest resources and collection of medicinal plants.

This Order regulates relations arising in the process of harvesting of food forest resources and collection of medicinal plants, except for the harvesting and collection of these types of resources for individual personal needs of citizens. Harvesting of food forest resources and collection of medicinal plants shall be considered entrepreneurial activities associated with the removal, storage and transportation of such forest resources from the forest. Food forest resources harvested in accordance with the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, shall be intended wild-growing fruits, berries, nuts, mushrooms, seeds, birch sap and similar forest resources. Citizens and legal entities shall carry out harvesting of food forest resources and collection of medicinal plants on the basis of contracts of lease of forest plots. Citizens, legal entities that are granted the right to use forests for harvesting of food forest resources and collection of medicinal plants, must use methods and technologies that exclude depletion of the available resources. Harvesting and collection of protected mushrooms and wild growing plant species, and also of prohibited mushrooms and plant species shall be prohibited.