The paper studies the problems and prospects of public environmental inspectors institute development in modern Russia. The author describes in detail the creation of this institution; the stages of its origin and formation are consistently considered. The analysis of the legal framework that served as the basis for the modern legal regulation of public environmental inspectors institute is carried out. Summing up the research, the author concludes that the status rising of public inspectors in connection with the amendments to Federal Law No 7-FZ “On Environmental Protection” and the formation of an appropriate regulatory framework in 2023-2024 is very important for the public environmental control institute development. At the same time, it is obvious that the mechanisms for regulating the activities of public inspectors need further improvement, in the account of the emerging law enforcement practice and the challenges faced by the state and society in solving environmental problems, including an increasing number of infractions in the field of environmental protection and natural resource use.