TEHRAN — The director of Lorestan’s Department of Environment has suggested that Oshtorankuh, known as the Iranian Alps, be designated as a national park, Mehr reported on Tuesday.

Considering the biodiversity and vegetation, Oshtorankuh is a unique preserved area in Iran, Mehrdad Fat’hi Beiranvand said.

Beiranvand said there are more than 800 plants and species in this area and it is one of the no-hunt zones.

Should Oshtorankuh designated as a national park the area will remain protected and less prone to harms and damages caused by human being, he stated.

Such a plan would create an opportunity to attract more tourists, breed rare species, make the province internationally known, and create more job opportunities, Beiranvand suggested.

Oshtorankuh is a massive sub range of Zagros located in Lorestan province about 500km far from Tehran. One of the features of the area that makes Oshtorankuh one of the favorites of Iranian mountain climbers is the beautiful south face Gahar Lake being great for camping. The lake, with a span of about 100 hectares is situated 2400 meters above sea level.

There are more beautiful places for sightseeing around the Oshtorankuh, such as Negar valley (Dare-y-Negar), Bisheh Waterfall (Abshar Bisheh), and Talezang waterfall (Abshar Talezang).

Another spectacular feature of the mountain is the glacier which is situated in south-eastern areas of the mountain, Beiranvand noted.

MQ/P