In brief, the philosophy of “ecological forestry” is the close-to-nature approach to forest management at landscape spatial scales while forest ecosystems continue to provide wood products, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and other ecosystem services. Forest science has always been seeking for ways to develop congruent practices. Natural models of stands development along with forest disturbances, as a result of interventions and applied practices, are of huge interest for forest practitioners. The three pillars of the forest science – ecological (soil, water, biodiversity), economic (production, income, wood, NTFPs) and social (ownership, jobs, industry) dimensions, are the basic fundamentals of decision making process to ensure sustainability. Humans have long before the first use of term “ecology” (Haeckel, 1866) undertaken exploitation activities of natural resources, including of forests, which initially had been utilized mainly for economic reasons without taking into account possible ecological consequences. Though traditional “industrial forestry” may seem to contrast with the “ecological forestry”, the difference is not always clear. In case of Moldova, with circa 80% of stands being of coppice (vegetative) provenance and the area of oak-type forests (circa 40%) almost matching plantations based mainly on introductions (circa 38%), the forestry practices may be regarded as unsustainable and neglectful of natural processes. However, established ‘energy’ plantations, mainly based on exotic species (such as acacia species, clones/hybrids of poplar, willow etc.) can reduce the pressure from so-called natural forests or more ecologically sensitive forests (mainly oak-type or mixed with other broad-leave species). To compare these two, i.e. traditional (industrial) and ecological forestry, one should count with what has been done in the past (including failings) and what is to become the new modern “era” in forestry. An example can be the historical inheritance tradition in ‘forester profession’, when parents worked for generation in forests and children inherit such important skills. Moldova has (as other countries across the world) many stories like this, and they should be highly appreciated when tackling “ecological forestry” as it owes a lot to previous generations of foresters. The use of the term “forest functionality” or “multi-functionality” implies also that a forest produces a number of functions (ranging from pure economic as wood/timber to fresh air, clean water and spiritual ones). However, to fully ensure that range of important functions, forestry management should follow natural processes as far as possible. Human factor is extremely important as the success of an “ecological forestry” greatly depends on the understanding of such processes and their proper appliance in practice. Educational aspects based on comprehensive ecological approach to forest disciplines are important in creating skilled professionals and broad thinking specialists. ENPI FLEG project helped Moldovan forestry institutions not only to improve the legal-normative framework, but also assisted them in training forestry staff and in establishing the National Forestry Consultancy Office, which has an objective to provide guidance and assistance to all stakeholders. Though normative framework contains well-founded instructions to forest biodiversity conservation and management, law enforcement associated with poor understanding of what an “ecological forestry” is still remain a huge problem. From approximately 465 thousand ha of forest lands of Moldova (data of National Bureau of Statistics, 2016), circa 200 thousand are considered being of natural origin (at least for the last century or so), the rest being reforested or newly created, mainly on abandoned or degraded lands. The term “ecological forestry” is applicable to both types – natural (semi-natural, not untouched) and plantations. It is extremely important to have a long-term vision and clear objectives for the future with regard to existing forests of Moldova. Ecological forestry is based on environmentallyfriendly principles that heavily rely on natural processes rather than short-term practices or quick income. Both decision-makers and foresters should find a balance between short-term economic benefits and long-term economic benefits of the forest. It depends on case to case, but a sustainable forest ecosystem can provide more benefits in the future. It takes many years to create or maintain a forest, but it can take a jiffy to destroy it.