The Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization has adopted a holistic policy “as opposed to the single-item production approach” to the national forest wealth. The new approach calls for the participation of local communities, deputy of the organization Behzad Angorej noted.
In order to preserve and revive forests, the latest policy calls for public involvement and bolstering local communities, IRNA reported.
Accordingly, while preserving the forests and in addition to lumbering in moderation, other potentials of the forests will be targeted as well. This includes trekking, fungiculture, poultry farming, growing medicinal plants, aquaculture, and beekeeping, the official said.
The new policy, aside from preserving the natural ecology, “will result in economic dynamism and create an income source for locals,” he maintained.
Awareness
Indiscriminate human intervention has caused the greatest harm to forests. “Proper advertising to create public awareness is needed for promoting cultural development and creating a common sense of responsibility in preserving these valuable national resources,” the official stressed.
He added that the government plans to recruit retirees in this regard. “When the comprehensive bill on natural resources is passed, public participation will increase and a large part of the officials’ concerns will be allayed.”
With an area of 1.9 million hectares, the forests in the northern region of Iran encompass 800 kilometers in length from Astara in the north of Gilan Province to Golidagh in the east of Golestan Province. The forests are one of the most natural and valuable ecological systems in the country.
