The article gives the characteristics of the main changes in the Russian Empire forest policy in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The emphasis is made on the alteration of the role of the forestry in the Russian economy. The authors consider the changes in the forest branch management structure which happened due to the inclusion of Forest Department in Ministry of Finance. The examples are given of forest administration decentralization which emerged during the period in question. Analysis is given to the regional forest administration system and attempts of its improvement. The authors come to the conclusion that financial-fiscal approach to the forest fond of the country starts to prevail in the government during the period under consideration. As a result, there was a change of the forestry management structure and emergence of new goals. The main obstacles on the way of rational profitable forestry were low rate of the land and forest planning, deficit of skilled labour, absence of complete system of forest protection. The first quarter of the nineteenth century became a period when further transformations of forestry were fully realized and prepared. These conversions were implemented by means of forest administration reforms in 1826-1828.