A Reflection on key issues and legal provisions for the protection of forests and Rangelands in the country's development program laws

Background and objectives: Program laws, as documents that define goals, strategies, policies, and programs based on the ideals, capabilities, resources, and environmental conditions of a country, are considered the most important development framework. Therefore, incorporating forest and rangeland conservation into these laws can play a significant role in sustainable development. The development program laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran include multiple provisions related to forest conservation. This study aims to review, analyze, extract, and categorize these provisions in the country’s development program laws.
Methodology: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine the position of forest and rangeland protection within the development program laws of Iran before and after the Islamic Revolution. The methodological framework of this study is based on both legal dogmatism (describing the existing legal system) and a systemic approach (evaluating the adequacy, effectiveness, and functionality of current regulations). While field research plays a minor role in this study, a key focus is the assessment of legal provisions in development laws relevant to the forest sector. The study also includes an evaluation, critique, and comparative analysis of these provisions. The legal dogmatism approach in legal methodology aims to analyze and describe the existing legal system based on laws, regulations, and governing documents, a process referred to as “legal art.”
Results: The analysis of development program laws from pre-revolutionary times to the present reveals five key themes related to forests and rangelands: conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, development, and sustainable utilization. Additional key issues addressed in these programs include increasing forest and rangeland protection efficiency, balancing livestock grazing with rangeland capacity, organizing local communities that utilize these resources, implementing comprehensive wildfire prevention and control plans, and banning commercial logging from national forests. By comparing the provisions in pre- and post-revolution development programs, the study finds that conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, development, and sustainable use have been consistently addressed across all development programs. Each program has introduced relevant solutions for these objectives. Enhancing forest and rangeland protection has been explicitly emphasized in the fourth and sixth development plans. Additionally, balancing livestock with rangeland capacity and structuring the exploiting communities are priorities reflected in the third, fourth, and sixth development programs. According to these plans, the government is responsible for regulating rangeland grazing and ensuring that rangeland management plans are implemented through indigenous and tribal communities. Moreover, the Sixth Development Plan introduces key policies for disaster preparedness, particularly regarding forest fires, including investments in firefighting equipment and strengthening forest protection units. Notably, this plan is the only one that explicitly addresses rangeland habitat restoration, the expansion and processing of medicinal plants, and the complete prohibition of timber extraction from national forests.
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that the provisions related to forest and rangeland protection in development program laws reflect a progressive legal evolution aimed at enhancing conservation efforts. By systematically incorporating protective regulations into these programs, Iran’s legal framework has taken a structured and evolving approach toward preserving forests and rangelands.