HARBIN, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Wetland in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is being well preserved as 70 percent has been included into natural reserves of the state or provincial level, the provincial forestry department has said.

Statistics with the department said Heilongjiang has completed 40 state or provincial level wetland natural reserves, with a total area of 3.13 million hectares.

The natural reserves cover 70 percent of the province's wetland, which signifies that a wetland preservation network has been basically set up in Heilongjiang, said an official with the department.

Rich in the wetland resources, Heilongjiang has totally 4.34 million hectares of wetland, mainly distributed in Sanjiang Plain, Songnen Plain, Greater Hinggan Mountains and Lesser Hinggan Mountains.

The province ordered an all-around halt of occupying the wetland for farm use in 1998. Enditem