May 26, 1999 - MPR’s Mary Losure reports that Governor Jesse Ventura has vetoed a bill that would have loosened the Minnesota Pollution Control's regulation of animal feedlots. The bill would have exempted livestock farmers from state air quality standards when they were spreading manure on farm fields. It also would have eliminated a new set of rules that govern which feedlots are subject to environmental review.
May 28, 1999 - Thousands of Minnesotans are heading to a lakeshore cabin this Memorial Day weekend. If you're one of them, aside from the boating and picnicing, chances are you may be doing a little yardwork. But before you get winded mowing that acre of lawn, you might want to look over a new book put out by the Department of Natural Resources filled with suggestions on how to develop an environmentally friendly lakeshore frontage. DNR Nongame Wildlife Supervisor Carrol Henderson co-wrote "Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality.
June 9, 1999 - First in a two-part series on Devils Lake, Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports on the changes that have taken place to lake in northeast North Dakota, which has risen nearly 25 feet in the past six years. The lake has no natural outlet to release water and above normal precipitation in recent years has raised the lake to levels not seen in recorded history.
June 10, 1999 - Second in a two-part series on Devils Lake, Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports on the concerns and plans for the lake in northeast North Dakota, which has risen nearly 25 feet in the past six years. Officials say with time running out, they are prepared to take drastic action. North Dakota officials say building an outlet now will control the water….but outlet plans have been stopped by opposition from Minnesota, Canada, and environmental groups.
June 16, 1999 - A report released today by a collection of government and private organizations documents a steady decline in the the health of the Mississippi River. The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center says its Status and Trends report promises to be the start of the most comprehensive ecological study ever of the river system. By collecting years of information, scientists hope to be better at tracking the threats to the river such as sediment and farm run-off.
July 5, 1999 - MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with Mark Van Every, spokesperson for the Superior National Forest Service in Duluth, about the BWCA storms. Van Every says it was the worst storm his office has seen the the past decade.
July 5, 1999 - In Winona writer Marjorie Dorner's new novel "Seasons of Sun and Rain", a group of women-friends annual vacation together on Lake Superior's North Shore is overshadowed by shattering news. One of their number is suffering from "Early on-set Alzheimers." The women have been friends since college, sharing each others joys and sorrows as they have had families, and watched their children become adults. Dorner told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr the story is based on experiences she's had with her own friends. The central shocking secret in the novel...is fiction. Dorner says one of the women is about to get a huge test... she's been asked to promise she'll help her sick friend commit suicide at some time in the future.
July 6, 1999 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on impact of ferocious storms that hit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The wind and rain downed trees and power lines across much of Northeastern Minnesota. Residents of Hibbing were assessing flood damage, while resorters on the Gunflint Trail were taking stock of damaged buildings.
July 7, 1999 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews campers Jennifer Sly and Mary Marrow of Minneapolis about their experience during the blow down in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The two recall lightning while paddling across Lake Saganaga with two other friends, and heading for shore to set up a temporary campsite.
July 9, 1999 - Nature photographer James Brandenburg describes his reaction to viewing the aftermath of massive windstorm in the BCWA. Brandenburg lives near Ely on the edge of the Boundary Waters.