The Iran Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization announced in a directive that “reckless and unregulated traffic of off-road vehicles and equipment” is prohibited in areas under the management and supervision of this organization.

Ali Naqi Heydarian, deputy for protection and land affairs, said that off-road activities and the entry of four-wheel vehicles and cross motorcycles into forests, rangelands, deserts, deserts-in-terms-of-plateaus and deserts, and coasts have increased.

He added that “any activity that causes damage to soil, land erosion, harm to vegetation cover, destruction of natural habitats, and disrupts the ecological balance of natural resource areas is contrary to the organization’s conservation goals and must be dealt with in accordance with laws and regulations.”

Based on Mr. Heydarian’s remarks, the provincial protection units have been asked, by increasing patrols and monitoring in desert, arid, forest, rangeland, and coastal areas, “to identify high-risk points, continuously monitor off-road riding activities, and take steps to prevent potential damages.”