Yunnan Province has officially launched its 10 year-long wild fauna and flora protection project with an investment of 2.55 billion yuan (about US$308 million).

It hopes to gradually improve and expand its existing nature reserves and refuges by 2010. In the first two years, it will carry out a general survey.

It will build a scientific research system, 190 wild fauna and flora monitoring stations and 15 bird observation stations. Eight scientific popularization bases will be built in Kunming, Xishuangpana, Gaoligongshan and five other places.

(www.cenews.com.cn February 24, 2003)