April 30, 2002 - A pair of stubborn Ospreys nesting just north of Duluth are giving Minnesota Power officials quite a challenge. The company tried- but failed- to prevent the birds from returning to the same nest they built last year, right on top of a utility pole. Workers even built a specially constructed nesting platform only 15 feet from the original site. The company is worried the birds are in danger of being hurt or could disrupt service. Joanne Hanowski is a bird expert with the Natural Resources Reseach Institute in Duluth. She says she doesn't know why the Ospreys won't use the new platform:
April 30, 2002 - The number of free cougars range from 0-5. There is a roaming cougar near Savage and it is unknown if it is a released/escape pet or if it was wild.
May 2, 2002 - The bill would amend the constitution to dedicate 3/16 of 1% of sales tax revenues to environmental conservation and preservation. That amounts to roughly $115 million a year.
May 2, 2002 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the better than predicted regrowth after one of the strongest storms in the BWCA's history. Kelleher interviews various forestry and ecology experts about the new growth and the changes to landscape in the three years since blowdown.
May 2, 2002 - Business leaders and government officials met today in Bloomington for a so-called "congestion summit" designed to let lawmakers know they want action on transportation this year. Business leaders say increasing traffic delays are costing them time and money. Government officials agree the problem is acute, but say they lack the money to pay for new projects, and so far, the political will to raise the necessary funds. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
May 2, 2002 - Riverside plant in Minneapolis opened in 1911 and the High Bridge plant in Saint Paul opened in 1924. The conversion of the two plants from coal to natural gas will eliminate four harmful pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogren oxides, particular matter, and mercury.
May 6, 2002 - Government regulators begin hearings today (Monday) to decide whether Xcel Energy can build new powerlines in southwest Minnesota. Xcel says the lines are needed to serve the growing wind energy industry in that part of the state. So far there is no organized opposition to the plan. Hearings are scheduled this week in Worthington, Pipestone and Redwood Falls. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports:
May 6, 2002 - Most of our region's biggest cities are located on waterways. Residents have relied on rivers for drinking water, transportation, and industrial power. We've modified rivers with dredging, dikes, and dams to meet our needs. But those changes are coming under scrutiny as we learn more about their impact. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen takes us to the urban Mississippi in this installment of our series "Changing Currents."
May 6, 2002 - Minnesota's first public recreation area for off-highway vehicles offered riders a sneak preview over the weekend. ATV use is growing dramatically, and riders have been pushing the DNR to build trails. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill went to the town of Gilbert, on the eastern end of the Iron Range, to have a look.
May 6, 2002 - This week we have a new Mainstreet Radio series, "Changing Currents." We'll look at a number of rivers and streams in our region. There are issues and challenges facing many of them. Our first few stories focus on the Mississippi. Over the last century the Army Corps of Engineers has transformed the Mississippi River. A series of locks and dams have made a reliable highway for commercial barge traffic. Many of the river's native species have suffered. None more so than the shrinking collection of fresh water mussels. The Army Corps wants to increase commercial river traffic. And the rush is on to save some species. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally has the first installment of our series.