The evolution of sustainable forest exploitation idea has been analysed. European experience of implementation of terminology and principles of sustainable forest exploitation developed over the last three hundred years has been described. The history of forest management thinking, beginning with the first articles of Kralovich, Schwestka, Hartig; the tracing of the subsequent development and improvement of concepts by Judeikh, Wagner, Baeder, Knukhel, Mantel, Richter, and Davis; then the present day meaning of sustainable forest exploitation terms and principles have been substantiated. The concept of the «target forest» as an idea that facilitates decision making optimization by regulating the harvesting areas and time limits of forest exploitation in Ukraine have been determined. 

sustainable forest exploitation, forest resources use, model, target forest, optimization, decision making process