The Process of Issuing Permits for Harvesting Rangeland By-products from Natural Habitats in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agriculture Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The issuance of permits for harvesting forest and rangeland by-products is one of the most important permits in the natural resources sector, with its own specific process. Investigations indicate that various issues exist in the implementation of this process. This research aims to identify the steps and executive procedures involved in issuing permits for the exploitation of Rangeland By-Products in Iran's natural habitats and the obstacles encountered along the way. The study is qualitative and applied, utilizing the Focus Group method. In this investigation, 64 exploiters and 30 experts from six provinces were purposively selected, and their viewpoints were collected through interviews. The results were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The findings revealed that in Iran, the average time required to obtain a permit under a management plan for harvesting by-products is 480 days, while without a management plan, it takes 72 days. This significant disparity stems from structural and operational challenges, including administrative complexity and heavy bureaucracy, shortage of specialized personnel and monitoring capabilities, legal inconsistencies and lack of transparency, as well as technical issues and the high costs associated with preparing management plans. The time required to obtain a transport permit within a province is 17 days, and for transport outside the province, it is 23 days. In total, 30 problems and obstacles were identified in the process of issuing permits for harvesting Rangeland By-Products from rangelands. The most significant issues include the lack of a unified and integrated platform for implementing processes, illegal harvesting from natural habitats, the absence of accurate data, a shortage of specialized human resources for supervision, the allocation of exploitation rights to non-local individuals, a lack of transparency in laws and regulations, and the limited economic capacity of exploiters to participate.

Keywords

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References

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Journal of Medicinal plants and By-products
Volume 15, Issue 1
January and February 2026
Pages 62-69

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