Iran Press/Iran news: In an exclusive interview with Iran Press on Monday, deputy head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation of Iran, Mohammad Hassan Talebian, emphasised that the Hirkan forest of northern Iran, covering an area of 2 million hectares and stretching for 850 kilometres along the Caspian Sea coastline, is an ancient forest whose origins lie in the third geological period.
Talebian added: "The Hirkan forest is between 25 and 50 million years old, and can be rightly thought of as the mother of all European forests. As far as broad-leafed forests are concerned, the Hirkan forest can be considered as the mother of all broad-leafed forests of the world."
Talebian went on to say: "The Hirkan forest is very important. In effect, it can be thought of as a genetic reserve for the whole of humanity. This immense treasure is now part of Iran. But we must plan well in advance. As far as attracting ecotourists is concerned, we need to have a comprehensive plan for attracting nature tourists and ecotourists into this country."
In further comments, deputy head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation said: "We must welcome public participation. We must work together to empower local communities and the local people. That way the people will benefit and they will also play a crucial role in preservation of the environment. We must work specially to empower local people. We must also increase our world-class research on the environment and forests. We are now trying to register Hirkan forest as a world heritage site."
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