May 7, 2002 - There's public debate over the management of many rivers in the U.S. Along the Missouri River, the hot topic is water level. The state of South Dakota has sued the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. The state wants the corps to wait two weeks before drawing down the reservoirs. That will allow smelt and walleye eggs to hatch. The fight is also about who should benefit from the way the U.S. Army Corps of engineers manages the river. In states like Missouri and Kansas, navigation is important. But upstream, above some of the rivers' huge dams, recreation brings in millions. As our series "Changing Currents" continues, Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland focuses on the Missouri River.
May 7, 2002 - As Minnesota was settled, the first towns sprung up along the Mississippi River. At first, cities used the river for transportation and to power industry. Over the years though, communities turned their backs on the Mississippi. People ignored the natural resource to focus on development away from the water. But now cities are finding new value in their rivers. In the next part of our series "Changing Currents," Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post looks at how St. Cloud is reconnecting with the Mississippi.
May 8, 2002 - Managing Minnesota rivers is a complex task. The Straight River near Park Rapids is a case in point. The small spring fed stream is a rare northern Minnesota trout fishery. It's also an area where crops are heavily irrigated. Natural resource managers find themselves walking a fine line. Protect the fish without harming the farmers. As part of our "Changing Currents" series Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson prepared this report.
May 8, 2002 - As part of MPR’s Changing Current series, reporter Stephanie Hemphill looks at the return of a native species to The French River, which flows into Lake Superior about 15 miles north of Duluth. The coaster brook trout has been struggling to survive in Lake Superior and its tributaries for more than a hundred years. Some people are turning their attention to bringing them back.
May 9, 2002 - A bill that appeared to be on the fast track in the Minnesota Legislature hit a stumbling block yesterday (Weds) in a House Committee. The bill would give voters the option of deciding if they want a portion of the state's sales tax to go towards conservation and envirnomental programs. But one lawmaker says voters should also be allowed to decide if they want another portion of the state's sales tax to go towards education. The move prompted several supporters to say some House DFLers are playing political games in an effort to kill the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
May 9, 2002 - The U.S. Senate has wrapped up weeks of debate on an energy bill. The senate's bill calls for a wide array of incentives to encourage conservation, including the increased use of corn based ethanol. Supporters of a planned expansion of an ethanol plant in Preston say it will be a boon for farmers in Southeast Minnesota who face the lowest grain prices since the Great Depression. But some environmentalists and an angling group are concerned about the potential threat the expansion might pose to the Root River, one of Minnesota's best trout streams. They say the increased demand for corn would lead to more farm chemicals getting into the river. The plant expansion will also put more pressure on Preston's waste water treatment facility. Minnesota Public Radio's Laurel Druley prepared this report as a part of our series, "Changing currents."
May 23, 2002 - A sprawling prairie restoration project is underway in Minnesota and Iowa. The first remnant is near Luverne, the southwestern Minnesota hometown of photographer Jim Brandenburg. Brandenburg is famous for pictures of wolves and other images published on the pages of National Geographic magazine. As often as he can he returns to Luverne where he has a gallery and a pet project. Brandenburg is working with the federal government to help reclaim the first piece of Northern Tallgrass Prairie Project in an area called the Blue Mounds. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
May 24, 2002 - Saint Paul Mayor Randy Kelly met face to face last night (Thursday) with neighborhood critics of his plan to connect Ayd Mill Road with Interstate 35-E. The road has been a source of contention among residents since it was first planned more than forty years ago. Now, Kelly is defending his plan for an experimental connection against critics who say it will make their neighborhood unsafe by routing thousands of additional cars through city streets. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has more...
May 27, 2002 - There are 11 trout streams in the city of Duluth. They tumble down the steep hillside into Lake Superior. One of the creeks is threatened because it runs through an area where lots of stores are being built. But there are people in Duluth who won't give up on even one trout stream. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 10, 2002 - The Duluth city council is considering making it illegal to stand around in certain parts of the downtown. Some merchants say their customers are being frightened off by people who hang out downtown. The two ordinances are designed to make the city's center more attractive to residents and visitors. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.