Iran’s policy of importing timber is helping to preserve its forests, according to the country’s deputy environment chief.
In a recent speech reported in the Iran Daily newspaper, Anushiravan Najafi said the imports supplied high quality wood for the lumber industry, generated jobs and discouraged exploitation of Iran’s forests which he called ‘excessive’ during the last decade.
But he criticised the the performance of the country’s Management and Planning Organisation in implementing the cabinet’s recent strategy to preserve Iran’s forest resource.
‘The cabinet’s ratifcation is a short, mid and long-term plan which tries to amend contradictory regulations, ‘ he said. ‘It also focuses on teh need of rural communities , preservation and expansion of forests. The traditional viewpoints of MPO officials has reduced the comprehensive plan for presrvation of forests to a small-scale executive project.’
