Protecting forests as the "natural heritage of the country" should be prioritized.

A scientific session titled "Evaluation of the National Public Project for Planting One Billion Trees," was held at the Faculty of Natural Resources, Lorestan University, with the participation of faculty members and students.

In this scientific session, presented by Dr. Seyed Vahid Seyedna, a faculty member of the Department of Forest Science and Engineering at Lorestan University, and judged by the faculty of this department (Dr. Javad Sousani, Dr. Babak Pilevar, and Dr. Zahra Mirazadi), held in the seminar hall of the Faculty of Natural Resources, the status of the world's forests was explained, and the status of the country's forests was compared to the global forest per capita.

Accordingly, given the country's classification among countries with low forest cover and its related international commitments, it was emphasized that the protection of existing forests as the country's natural heritage should be prioritized in the programs of the National Resources and Watershed Management Organization.

Subsequently, Dr. Seyedna evaluated the project from various aspects (preliminary studies, feasibility and site selection for planting, selection of native and adaptable species to different regions, technical considerations for planting, provision of suitable seedlings, provision of required water, care and maintenance of planting areas, and the mechanism of participation of the people and local communities).

Financial and credit evaluation and the required budget for the project were also discussed.

At the end of the session, while providing corrective suggestions, faculty members and students posed questions and presented their viewpoints.

It is worth mentioning that this session was held in line with the commemoration of Research and Technology Week.