TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has added three new sites in Fars, Alborz, and Golestan provinces to the national protected areas across the country.

Qadamgah spring in southern Fars province is a rather small area. However, the area is a typical example of the wonder of creation being home to eight species of fish, six of which are endemic to the country, and the two others are endemic to the same spring, IRNA quoted Hamid Zoharbi, an official with the DOE, as saying.

Aras Shahrestanak in north-central Alborz province is the second area, where an ancient tree, known to be over 2,700 years old, is registered as national natural heritage. The area is also a reservoir of genetic resources, with old trees known to be potential reservoirs of genetic diversity.

The third area is Zarrin Gol in northern Golestan province. It hosts more than 60 species of trees and shrubs, playing an important role in maintaining biodiversity.

Two main tree species in the area are yew and ficus, which are of great conservation importance.

The history of Iran’s first protected areas dates back to 1967, when the proposal for the establishment of two national parks and 15 protected areas as the first protected sites in Iran was approved.

In 1976, there were more than 65 protected areas covering an area of 6.7 million hectares in the country, which has now extended to more than 300 areas with an area of 19.5 million hectares.

The population of species such as goats, rams, and sheep in these areas has increased by three to eight times.

In June, Zohrabi said that the number of wild goats (Capera aegagrus) in private protected areas across the country has grown by 21 percent compared to the past Iranian year (March 2023-March 2024).

“Also, the population of rams and ewes has risen by an increase of 10 percent in the same period, indicating the effective performance of the private sector, the successful cooperation of public and private sectors in environmental conservation, which has reduced environmental preservation costs, as well,” IRNA quoted Zohrabi as saying.

According to the latest censuses, a total of 6,093 animals, including 3,384 rams and ewes and 2,709 wild goats, have been counted in four private protected sectors in Yazd (2), Semnan (1), and Kerman (1) provinces.

MT/MG