July 4, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe visited Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota as part of a report that years of bare bones budgets have taken their toll on Minnesota's park system. Officials say the resources and facilities are being neglected, as funding for parks has not kept pace with popularity.
July 6, 1996 - Every year, half a million people visit Itasca State Park near Bemidji. They go to see the headwaters of the Mississippi and to walk in groves of huge, old pines that have been growing since long before white settlers arrived in Minnesota. But the old growth forests in Itasca State Park are facing a serious threat…an explosion of pine bark beetles threatens to wipe out EVERY old growth pine in the park.
July 8, 1996 - Hour 2 of Midmorning, featuring Voices of Minnesota with Daniel Janzen, a rainforest biologist and author Tim Nyberg.
July 11, 1996 -
July 19, 1996 - Midday guests New York Times Magazine writer John Tierney and Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson answer listener questions about recycling.
August 14, 1996 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports from Stearns County, the state's biggest dairy county and home to more feedlots than any other county. Stearns is now considering a county feedlot permitting process. It's a move the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency supports because of the high number of Stearns County feedlots without state permits and pollution concerns.
September 20, 1996 - Joanne Benson, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, discusses plans for “Minnesota Clean-up Day” and ongoing efforts in addressing pollution of Minnesota River.
September 20, 1996 - MPR reporter Mary Losure interviews the U.S. Senate candidates on environmental issues and compiled their responses.
October 21, 1996 - Less than a century ago, millions of acres of North America were covered with prairie, vast grasslands that were home to bison, wolves, and prairie chickens. Today, less than one tenth of one per cent of that prairie remains. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on the Tallgrass Prairie Project, a plan to buy and protect some of what little prairie is left.
November 13, 1996 - Members of the Sierra Club say the Saint Croix River should be closed to boat traffic from the Mississippi, in order to prevent the further spread of the exotic zebra mussel.