Abstract: The object of the research is the social relations arising in the process of ensurance of environmental safety in the Russian Federation and rational use of forests. The subject of the research is the criminal law provisions set forth by Articles 191.1, 226.1 and 260 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The aim of the research is to create a structure of crimes associated with illegal use of forests. The author of the article suggests that these provisions were included in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in order to ensure the rational use of forests and environmental safety of the Russian Federation. However, the legislator does not view them as an integral structure and these provisions are mentioned by different articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This creates the need to carry out a more detailed analysis of these provisions and discover relations between them. The research is based on general research methods (analysis, synthesis, generalisation, analogy and logical analysis) and special research methods (technical law, structured functional analysis, formal law analysis). The results of analyzing legal provisions of Articles 191.1, 226.1 and 260 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation prove that they have general goals and relate to one another. Based on the results of the analysis, the author gives his own definition of crime associated with illegal use of forests. He suggests that this definitino should be included in Chapter IX 'Crimes Against Social Security and Social Order' and Chapter 26 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation 'Environmental Crimes'.