The Moldova forest sector’s direct economic contribution was relatively small at just 0.27% to GDP in 2010. Additionally, the forests provide critical habitats for biodiversity and other essential environmental benefits such as soil protection, water regulation and carbon sequestration. Most sector analyses highlight the underused potential of the forestry sector. In particular this refers to (a) carbon sequestration valued at $460000 in 2011, (b) ecotourism, which is valued at $7.9 million per annum and employing circa 1400 persons, (c) watershed management reducing soil erosion and water costs valued at an net present value of $27.8 million over 25 years, (d) flood disaster mitigation valued at $19.7 million, (e) wood energy, which could be worth circa $2.25 million annually (5000 ha, yields of 15m3 per ha annually and current fuelwood prices), and also its contribution to emission reductions targets. All this untapped potential of the forests in Moldova triggered the need for evaluating and communicating the total economic value of the forests. During 2014-2015, FLEG II Program conducted a study that identified and described the main FES that are beneficial to Moldovan people. It focused on several important economic sectors in the country that have cross-sectional linkages with forests, such as agriculture, water management, tourism, fishing, natural disaster risk and climate change mitigation. The sector approach was an important methodological aspect of the research as it aimed at processing and presenting information that are quantifiable and relevant for specific decision makers in each studied sector. Several conclusions can be made and emphasized in order to give them the necessary importance as arguments for all those interested, mainly politicians and decision makers, in their attempt to uncover true values of forests and find mechanisms how to contribute to sustainable development in general. All conclusions below can be used as strong arguments in favour of sustainable ecosystem management and not in support of current business as usual practices. FES generate considerable values: The value of ecosystem services in tourism, forestry, agriculture, water supply, climate change and disaster mitigation were estimated at just under $68.84 million in 2014. FES play an appreciable role in the national economy and development: In 2014, the quantified value of ecosystem services (taking into consideration only few sectors) equated to some 0.85% of GDP. This figure is 3 times bigger than the official figure representing forest sector contribution to national economy at 0.3%. FES values accrue to multiple sectors, at many different levels of scale: In 2014, both public sectors and private sector benefited from FES values. Thus, for eco-tourism sector a 20% of the value was earned by the national budget, while 65% (or $1.5 million) was earned by private companies. In agriculture sector, only 8% of the benefits were earned by the budget ($1.7 million), while the private sector earned 89%. Values generated by FES have a substantial multiplier economic effect: The income, consumption, spending, employment and cost-savings generated by ecosystem services have wide-ranging and knock-on impacts on the economy. For example, only ecotourism sector generate a total income, investment and spending in the tourist sector at $2.9 million, including capital investment in excess of $0.5 million, as well as some 500 full-time job equivalents. There remain untapped opportunities to increase the levels of revenues generated from FES: Eco-touristic visitors are, for example, willing to contribute almost 0.32 million a year more than they are currently being charged as entry fees. Another example is from agriculture, where due to pasture under usage (under the carrying capacity) there is an untapped potential of $0.6 million a year. Increased public investment and policy action is required to capture these potential revenue streams. Continuing to grant FES a low policy and investment priority will incur long-term economic losses: Continuing to carry out “business as usual” practices may cost Moldova’s economy and population more than $21.3 million in total, over the next 25 years. Law enforcement in Moldova is the first step to sustainable forest ecosystem management: Our data reveal that if illegal logging will disappear, the value added to the economy by forestry sector and related industries may count for 30% of more income to the state budget from forestry, under the condition of not overexploiting the ecosystems and by implementing a long term sustainable ecosystem management in forestlands. Well managed forest ecosystems may reduce significantly the damages produced by floods, soil erosion and landslides: If the upstream protection functions of the ecosystems of ecosystems serve to minimize the impact of disaster by 10% below what it would have been in the absence of the protective functions, then the ecosystems’ value of flood and landslides control in terms of avoided damage costs equates to an average of $0.4 million a year.