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Nairobi -- by Cathy Majtenyi, Voice of America, 12/9/03

Stockton septage request denied Portage Co., WI -- By KATE GARSOMBKE and SUSAN KAMPMEIER, Stevens Point Journal, 11/18/03

Opinion: A Shortage of Energy New York, NY-- by Editorial Board, NY Times, [registration req'd.], 11/18/03

Energy sector's campaign donations at issue as compromise vote nears Washington, DC -- By David Pace, Associated Press via Boston Globe, 11/17/2003

Take the Harkin Challenge Iowa City, IA -- by Teresa Opheim, Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, 11/11/03

Volts may fend off invading carp St. Paul, MN -- Minnesota natural resource officials said Tuesday that they are studying the possibility of building an underwater electric barrier across the Mississippi River to prevent the northward spread of Asian carp into the state's waterways. (Tom Meersman and Mark, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/01/03)

US Energy Bill mired in debate over MTBE and renewable fuels WASHINGTON — Disputes over whether power companies should be made to use renewable fuels to make electricity and about liability protection for makers of a water-contaminating gasoline additive are complicating negotiations over a far-reaching energy bill. (By Associated Press via Environment News Network, 10/01/03)

WU joins effort to use "green" chemistry against pollution ST. LOUIS, MO - Washington University said Monday that it is joining a national research consortium whose goal is to reduce dramatically industrial pollution and eventually save chemical companies $10 billion a year. (By Rachel Melcer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 09/29/03)

Experts: U.S. Agriculture, Food Supply Face Major Dangers and Some Opportunities From Global Warming WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Falling crop production resulting from extreme weather events, diseases and pest infestations increasingly will be fueled by global warming and create an uncertain future for U.S. agricultural production and the nation's food supplies, according to leading experts. (News Release, PRN Newswire via Yahoo Finance, 09/29/03)

Trumpeter soon to call Iowa home Webster City, Ia - Washington, D.C., is better known for producing politicians than wildlife. Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo there, and former Iowan Debbie Talbott, the nation's capital also is producing a young trumpeter swan destined for Iowa. (By JULI PROBASCO-SOWERS, Des Moines Register, 09/29/03)

Mississippi Delta Slowly Starves (Louisiana officials seek to reverse effects of levees, drilling) Caernarvon, La. - In little nibbles and great gulps, the great Mississippi Delta is disappearing as the salty Gulf of Mexico invades and corrodes the landscape, a football field every 30 minutes, about 35 square miles a year at the present rate. (By Candus Thomson, THE BALTIMORE SUN via Newsday, 09/28/03)

Summer takes toll on lake Des Moines, Ia - Driven by the curiosity only a scientist could have, Jay Gilliam, a researcher at Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., used to spend his lunch hours photographing and marveling at the birds at Johnston's Lake Terra. By LISA LIVERMORE, Des Moines Register, 09/26/03)

Plans call for Xcel’s King Plant to get cleaner OAK PARK HEIGHTS, MN — Although it might not be completely free of toxic emissions, the exhaust escaping from Xcel Energy’s giant smokestack here will soon be as clean as possible. If, that is, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approves the Minnesota Emissions Reduction Project (MERP). (By MIKE MITCHELSON, Stillwater Gazette, 09/25/03)

Panel Backs Faster Environment Review A White House task force yesterday issued scores of proposals for changing the way one of the country's most important environmental protection laws is implemented, including possibly simplifying and speeding up the process of exempting certain government and commercial projects from environmental review. (By Eric Pianin, Washington Post, 09/25/03)

Group gives state failing grade on Clean Water Act MADISON, Wis. — A state environmental group has given the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources a failing grade for how it enforces the federal Clean Water Act. (by Associated Press via St. Paul Pioneer Press, 09/25/03)

Subdivision to get Lake Michigan water CHICAGO, IL -- Clean water soon will arrive in Woodridge Estates near Lisle, but some residents don't like the sacrifices they made to get it. The DuPage County Board Tuesday officially declared the neighborhood's wells tainted. (By Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Daily Herald, 9/24/03)

’Snakehead’ fish, invasive alien species, found in Wisconsin’s Rock River JANESVILLE, Wis. — A carnivorous alien fish known for its voracious appetite and ability to wriggle short distances on land has been found in southern Wisconsin’s Rock River. (Associated Press via Billings Gazette, 09/24/03)

Merriam seeks answers on wetlands ST. PAUL, MN -- DNR Commissioner Gene Merriam says he understands there's a problem with Minnesota's wetlands and he's ready to take the first steps in defining the problem. (BY CHRIS NISKANEN. St. Paul Pioneer Press, 09/21/03)

Atlantic man caught in cattle battle (Nick Hunt is told he must build a drainage basin, but a neighbor contends the change will hurt the city.) Atlantic, Ia. - Cattleman Nick Hunt and his neighbor Forrest Teig agree about one thing: They disagree about whether Hunt's cattle operation will stink up the southwest side of this southwest Iowa community. (By JERRY PERKINS, Des Moines Register, 09/21/03)

Mille Lacs County challenge expected to cost taxpayers GARRISON, MN -- John Schley, chairman of the Garrison Kathio West Mille Lacs Lake Sanitary District, reported the district and its property owners will pay costs because of a Mille Lacs County appeal. (By Brainerd Dispatch, 09/18/03)

EPA Sued Over Children's Exposure to Pesticides NEW YORK - The Environmental Protection Agency was sued by four states and a coalition of conservation, public health and farmworker groups on Monday for failing to protect children from unsafe levels of pesticide residue found in food. (By Gail Appleson, Reuters, 09/15/03)

"No Fall Tillage of Soybean Stubble" Campaign Underway ROCHESTER, MN -- The latest issue of the newsletter of the Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM) encourages farmers not to till soybean stubble in the fall.. (Norman Senjum, balmm currents, 09/15/03)

Pollutants, invaders threaten Great Lakes (Restoration will require state, federal cooperation) Would you drink from a toxic well? Swim in polluted water? Eat contaminated fish? (By Jim Lee, Wisconsin Rapid Daily Tribune, 09/14/03)

Gulf storms shrink dead zone
[Cocodrie, LA] A dead zone off the coast of Louisiana, the result of farm pollution washed down the Mississippi River and other waterways, is half the size scientists expected, a top researcher reported Wednesday. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 07/31/03)

Garrett study spurs federal interest [Lake Forest, IL] Several public officials are cooperating with State Sen, Susan Garrett, D-29th, of Lake Forest, to restudy sources of Lake Michigan water pollution. The locally financed $30,000 study also has drawn attention in Washington, D.C. because it demonstrates how concerned local people are with water quality issues, said Garrett. (By Staff, Lake Forester, 07/31/03)

Dean Debuts Environmental Strategy for Next 100 Years SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 31, 2003 (ENS) - Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, MD today outlined his environmental strategy, opening with praise for the policies of Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. Dean said he has a 100 year vision for the environment. (07/31/03)

Baucus holds up nomination in Missouri dispute WASHINGTON — Sen. Max Baucus is holding up one of President Bush’s nominees to oversee the Army Corps of Engineers until the nominee [John Woodley] assures him Montana and other upstream states will be treated fairly when Missouri River management rules are revised. (by Associated Press via Billings Gazette, 07/30/03)

Notice of Meetings of the Mississippi River Commission Offical notice of a series of seven public meetings aboard the M/V Mississippi at locations ranging from St. Paul, MN on August 11 to Morgan City, LA on August 22. (MRC, 06/30/03)

State weighs loans in fight against water pollution
The state is looking to offer new loans to farmers, environmentalists and others willing to help ease water pollution. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 07/30/03)

A Flood of Development 10 years later The Flood of '93 inundated the Midwest, with damage totalling at least $12 billion. Soon after, some saw a way to turn the river bottoms into gold mines. The Post-Dispatch looks at how and why it happened, what's at stake, and for whom. (Special Report by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 07/27/03)

Study: 14 percent of confinements emit big stench Early state checks of odor levels near Iowa's largest livestock confinements found that 14 percent had significant stenches. The tests began in April. They are part of a new state crackdown on pollution from confinements. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 07/26/03)

Minnesota judge stays Missouri River contempt sanctions WASHINGTON - The Army Corps of Engineers got a two-week reprieve from daily contempt fines of $500,000 when a federal judge in Minnesota stayed dueling rulings involving the Missouri River. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in St. Paul issued a stay of another federal judge's contempt order, which required the corps to drop Missouri River water levels or pay fines beginning Friday. (By Libby Quaid - Associated Press via Kansas City Star, 07/25/03)

Uncertainties of Missouri River dispute keep all sides guessing Sugar Creek, Missouri -- Ever so slowly Thursday, a rusty barge settled deeper into the Missouri River. By this morning, the barge's belly should sink seven feet into the river with 1,100 tons of Lafarge North America cement. Then it will be hurried downstream -- and off the Missouri. (By SCOTT CANON, Kansas City Star, 07/25/03)

With contempt fines looming, panel transfers Missouri River action (Decision places case in hands of federal court in Minnesota) Washington — A judicial panel Thursday transferred dueling federal court rulings regarding the Missouri River to a different federal court in Minnesota. (By Libby Quaid - Associated Press via Lawrence [KS] Journal-World, 07/25/03)

Corps to decide Missouri River order by early Friday OMAHA, Neb. - A top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said the corps planned to issue a decision by early Friday on whether to comply with a federal judge's order to reduce flows in the Missouri River. (By MARGERY BECK
Associated Press via Aberdeen News, 07/24/03)

MPCA approves tire-burning electricity plant ST. PAUL, MN -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has approved the building of a plant in Southern Minnesota that will generate electricity by burning tires. (by Benno Groeneveld, Twin Cities Business Journal, 07/23/03)

Corps Held in Contempt Over Mo. River Flap WASHINGTON - A federal judge held the Army Corps of Engineers in contempt Tuesday for refusing to lower Missouri River water levels to protect endangered birds and fish. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the corps and the secretary of the Army to comply by Friday or pay half a million dollars for each day her order is disobeyed. (By Libby Quaid, AP via Kansas City Star, 07/22/03)

PAWLENTY TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON SE MINN CREP JULY 17: Governor Tim Pawlenty is holding a public meeting on the Southeast Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) proposal Thursday, July 17 at 8:30 am at the J.C. Hormel Nature Center in Austin. (Norman Senjum, balmm currents CREP-EXTRA, 07/15/03)

Missouri River Flow Cut Back at Judge's Order (Army Corps, Conservation Groups at Odds Over Applying Endangered Species Act) WASHINGTON, DC --The Army Corps of Engineers yesterday began lowering water levels along the Missouri River in response to a federal court order aimed at saving two endangered species of birds and one species of fish that have been caught up in a decades-old battle over the management of the sprawling waterway. (By Eric Pianin, Washington Post, 07/14/03)

Organic farmers sing biotech blues Washington, D.C. - Farmers who are trying to fill America's growing appetite for organic food are battling more than just bugs and weeds. Genetically engineered corn and soybeans are becoming so widespread that organic growers - who count on selling their crops for two to three times as much as conventional varieties - say they are having trouble keeping biotech contamination out of their crops. (By PHILIP BRASHER, Des Moines
Register, 07/14/03)

For suburbs, water limits, propels growth (Rules benefit Chicago, hurt Wisconsin cities) Waukesha, Wisc -- When it comes to drinking water choices, Waukesha Mayor Carol Lombardi wishes that she wore the shoes of Naperville, Ill., Mayor George Pradel. (By DON BEHM, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/13/03

'Urban herons' fly 'home' to Brookfield year after year
Brookfield, Wisc. -- They are among Wisconsin's largest birds, standing nearly 4 feet tall with wings spanning 6 feet. , (By SCOTT WILLIAMS, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/12/03)

Microfiltration wastewater system demonstrated
ROBERTS, Wis. — New or upgraded wastewater treatment facilities are on the to-do list of a growing number of communities in western Wisconsin, and the villages of Hammond and Roberts hope to lead by example. (BY KEVIN HARTER, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 07/12/03)

Pool 6 drawdown canceled WINONA, MN -- A shallow sandbar at the Pla-Mor Campground & Marina not only hinders boat traffic, but it ended up blocking a proposed drawdown of Pool 6 of the Mississippi River this summer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday that the minor-level drawdown was canceled because of "... concerns expressed regarding recreational access . . ." (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 07/11/03)

Edwards pitches hog waste plan (The proposal, called a good first step by farm groups, would limit hydrogen sulfide and ammonia from big livestock farms.) Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards Thursday proposed limits on pollution from large hog farms, a proposal he said would win support among environmentalists and farmers in Iowa's pre- cinct caucuses. (By THOMAS BEAUMONT, Des Moines Register, 07/11/03

Pool 9 drawdown cancelled SAINT PAUL, MINN. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, cancelled its minor drawdown, scheduled to begin June 16, for Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River. (USACE News Release, 07/10/03)

Environmental coalition intends to sue EPA over Mo. waters The Missouri Coalition for the Environment intends plans to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its "long-standing failure" to protect Missouri's waters for swimming and other uses. (St. Louis Business Journal, 07/07/03)

Army engineering project slows for turtles KELLOGG, MINN -- For one of Minnesota's largest concentrations of turtles, Island 42 on the Mississippi River is the perfect place to lay eggs. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Island 42 is a strategic river management location — a 14-acre spot to dump dredged sand and keep a 9-foot channel flowing smoothly for barge and boat traffic. (BY TRAVIS REED, AP via St. Paul Pioneer Press, 07/06/03)

EPA gives $400,000 toward sanctuary project St. Paul, Minn. -- An effort to convert an old rail yard along St. Paul's Mississippi River corridor into a park and nature sanctuary got a boost Tuesday when the Environmental Protection Agency gave it $400,000 to clean up contaminated soil. (BYDENNIS LIEN, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 07/08/03)

Book Review: Eat, Drink and Be Wary -- 'Food, Inc.: Mendel to Monsanto -- The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest' by Peter Pringle, Simon & Schuster. 224 pp., $25. In this latest account of the arrogance and unfulfilled promises of the international corporations that produce genetically modified (GM) foods, Peter Pringle takes on a formidable challenge. At the behest of the Rockefeller Foundation, which funded this study, he resolves to explore and demystify the language and politics of GM agriculture from the "eerily deserted" middle ground. (Reviewed by Marion Nestle, Washington Post, 07/06/03)

Oak tree fungus could be threat in Iowa (However, the state's temperatures may thwart the disease's ability to survive here.) Scientists say a fungal disease that has killed thousands of oak trees in California could pose a serious threat to Iowa's state icon. (By TOM ALEX, Des Moines Register, 07/01/03)

A Big Stink (Small communities take on big farms.) Perryton, Texas -- There's a certain air to Byrl and Marjory Hardy's backyard near Perryton, Texas, and it isn't the smell of roses. It's the fragrance of pig manure stored in nearby lagoons at the confinement houses of Texas Farm Inc., owned by Nippon Meat Packers of Tokyo, Japan. (By Karl Wolfshohl, Progressive Farmer, 07/03/03)

Future Dims for 'Clear Skies' Initiative (GOP Lawmakers, Utilities Aim to Postpone Mercury Emissions Targets Until 2018) WASHINGTON, DC -- One of President Bush's premier environmental initiatives -- to cut mercury emissions by nearly half within seven years -- is suddenly in deep trouble, the victim of administration infighting and resistance from industry leaders fearing huge costs. ( (By Guy Gugliotta and Eric Pianin, Washington Post, 06/29/03)

Ten years later BURLINGTON, IOWA -- Before it was the year of the flood, it was the year of the rain. "Every day you would get up and think, 'maybe the rain will stop today,' " said Elaine Schroeder, then a secretary with the Des Moines County Emergency Management Agency. (By STEPHEN A. MARTIN, The Hawk Eye, 06/29/03

Utility rule force mercury cut: New legislation increases costs for local companies WAUPACA, Wis. - The state Natural Resources Board unanimously approved new regulations Wednesday that would force the state's biggest utilities to cut the amount of mercury they release into the air. (By STEVE CAHALAN, La Crosse Tribune, 06/27/03)

Opinion: Don't gut the farm bill Madison, Wi -- I probably couldn't sleep tonight were it not for Sen. Herb Kohl. On Wednesday, House appropriators voted to kill the best, most innovative elements of last year's farm bill, programs valuable to Wisconsin's $40 billion agricultural industry, programs that Wisconsin farmers fought to create. (By Margaret Krome, Madison Capital Times, 06/26/03

When Politics Trumps Science (4 Letters to the Editor of the NY Times [registration req'd], 06/21/03)

[incl. Audubon's Dan McGuiness] Members of river cleanup crew injured when boat tips Dakota Co., Minn. -- They were two adults among more than 100 who were at the Dakota County park to haul away debris from islands along the Mississippi River. BY AMY SHERMAN, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 06/20/03)

Opinion: Censorship on Global Warming
When it comes to global warming, the Bush administration seems determined to bury its head in the sand and hope the problem will go away. Worse yet, it wants to bury any research findings that global warming may be a threat to human health or the environment. (Editorial Board, NY Times, [registration req'd], 06/20/03) News article: Report by the E.P.A. Leaves Out Data on Climate Change

NRCS Announces New Grassland Reserve Program to Open in Wisconsin Madison, WI... USDA has announced that the first sign-up for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) will begin in Wisconsin on June 30, 2003. "In Wisconsin, dairy and livestock farmers should seriously consider the Grassland Reserve as a way to support permanent pasture and hayland," said Pat Leavenworth, State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (By Renae Anderson, NRCS WI, 06/19/03)

Study: Iowans breach seed rules Washington, D.C. - Many Iowa farmers are routinely violating planting restrictions on a type of corn that is genetically engineered to kill insect pests, according to a study of government records. (By PHILIP BRASHER, Des Moines Register, 06/19/03

Should public shoreline be used as free parking lot for barges? An environmental debate is quietly simmering along the Mississippi River. At issue is whether the public shoreline should be used as a free parking lot for barges. A prime example is taking place directly across from Quincy. (By Edward Husar, Quincy Herald-Whig, 06/19/03)

Popular Pesticide Faulted for Frogs' Sexual Abnormalities WASHINGTON, June 18 — Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency say there is "sufficient evidence" to conclude that the country's most widely used pesticide, atrazine, causes sexual abnormality in frogs. They are recommending that the agency conduct more research to understand atrazine's mechanisms and its broader impact on frog populations. (By JENNIFER 8. LEE, NY Times [registration req'd], 06/19/03)

Rural Missouri men suffer from lower sperm counts than city dwellers, study finds Columbia, MO -- A new study shows that rural Missouri men have lower sperm counts and quality than their counterparts in Minneapolis. And pesticides are the likely culprit, researchers say. (By Angela Vierling, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 06/17/03)

Conservation Compliance Compromised, Says GAO In a new report, USDA Needs to Better Ensure Protection of Highly Erodible Cropland and Wetlands, the U.S. General Accounting Office finds that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has not consistently implemented the conservation provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act. (Norman Senjum, balmm currents, 06/17/03) [Ed. Note: This mention, among various other news items, appears in this month's newsletter of the Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM) with many documents on this website.]

Activists Renew Call to Restore Bay (Event Honoring Environmental Pioneer Includes Push to Tighten Oversight) KENT ISLAND, Md., June 16 -- The nation's largest regional environmental advocacy group today called for new regulatory oversight of the Chesapeake Bay's restoration, with firm deadlines and penalties if the state and federal governments do not meet their commitments. (By Anita Huslin, Washington Post, 06/17/03)

New off-highway vehicle laws mean big changes in state forests Bemidji, Minn -- There are big changes ahead for ATV riders. This year, the Legislature passed Minnesota's first comprehensive plan regulating where people can ride off-road vehicles. Managing the sport has become one of the most divisive issues in years. The number of off-highway vehicles in the state has skyrocketed. They've caused major damage to the environment in some places. Some say the legislation didn't go far enough. But for now, it seems, people on both sides of the issue have at least some reason to celebrate the new regulations. (by Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio, 06/16/03

Cleanup crew finds inspiration Dundee, Ia. - They took the river into their own hands... They weren't brash environmentalists, either, but soft-spoken teachers and truckers, sanitation workers, the unemployed and the retired. (By MIKE KILEN
Des Moines Register, 06/15/03)

New loon plates soar
(DNR thrilled with funds to help critical habitat.) ST. PAUL, MN - Loons have always had a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans, and now we've got more loons on our license plates than on our lakes. Those colorful loon license plates are all the rage and in one year have added $2 million to the state's effort to save wildlife habitat. (BY BILL GARDNER, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 06/09/03)

PROTECTING MINNESOTA'S ENVIRONMENT: The 'impatient' advocate On a cold, rainy day in April 1999, Peter Bachman took the final step in what some worried was an unworthy alliance. Bachman, head of the state's most versatile environmental organization, and Koch Petroleum Group, then the state's most notorious polluter, announced a joint effort to cut pollution at its Rosemount refinery and to monitor that progress. (BY DENNIS LIEN, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 06/09/03)

Prairie dogs tied to 3 more suspected monkeypox cases MILWAUKEE, WI -- Three more Illinois residents who came in contact with pet prairie dogs show unconfirmed symptoms of the rare African monkeypox virus, state health officials said Sunday. (BY JIM RITTER, Chicago Sun-Times, 06/09/03)

Organic food producers battle higher prices, cross contamination SAN FRANCISCO - Fig Newmans cost more today than a year ago. That's because organic cookie-maker Newman's Own now buys its corn syrup from Austria, because it no longer trusts domestic corn syrup to be free of genetically modified organisms. The corn syrup from Austria, which bans planting of genetically modified crops, costs the company in Santa Cruz, Calif., more and has forced it to hike its prices. By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press via St. Louis, Post-Dispatch, 06/07/03)

Report: Force farmers to cut pollution (The Pew Commission says those who don't reduce runoff should lose federal aid.) DES MOINES, IA -- The Pew Oceans Commission on Wednesday called for the federal government to force farmers to cut pollution running into waterways or risk losing federal aid. The 18-member private, bipartisan commission also suggested that the federal government pay farmers for losses if their verified cutbacks on fertilizer result in lower crop yields. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 06/05/03)

New law restricts where ATVs can go ST. PAUL - Drivers of all-terrain vehicles will soon have to watch for signs to make sure they aren't breaking the law when they drive off-road in state forests. Under a new law that took effect Sunday, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will begin a multiyear trail marking program that eventually will restrict where ATVs can go. Within a few years, ATVs will be allowed only on marked routes, and all other state forest trails will be off-limits. (The Associated Press via Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 06/01/03)

Farmers keep vigil against a new pest: 'Agroterror'
RURAL PENNSYLVANIA - Travis Moser can't afford to put up a steel fence to keep terrorists off his 330-acre dairy business in western Montgomery County. But he has dogs that bark. (By Jeff Shields, Philadelphia Inquirer, 05/28/03)

Lake water quality influences property values, study says Bemidji, Minn. -- Minnesotans who headed to their lake cabins for the holiday weekend may want to see how far down they can see into the water. A new study of lakes in north-central Minnesota shows just how much clear water can enhance the value of lakeshore property. (Tom Meersman, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 05/26/03)

Heavy spring rains send nitrate levels climbing Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- Heavy rains washed enough fertilizer into Iowa streams to set a record for nitrates in the Cedar River, the source of drinking water for Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second-largest city. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 05/23/03)

EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman Resigns WASHINGTON, DC -- Christine Todd Whitman, often at odds with the Bush White House over environmental issues and a lightning rod for the administration's critics, resigned Wednesday as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. (By John Heilprin, Associated Press via Washington Post, 05/21/03)

Council: No more Treetops When it came to a vote, Treetops got the ax. WINONA, MINN. -- The Winona City Council unanimously turned down the rezoning request and cluster development plan Monday night for Treetops Phase 2. The council action reversed the position of the city planning commission, which voted to approve the bluffside development April 28. Over a dozen residents took the floor to speak against the project, arguing that the proposed development be turned down in the interest of preserving the bluffland and protecting the property down-slope from runoff. (By Jerome Christenson, Winona Daily News, 05/20/03)

DNR finds compromise for off-road ATV trails ST. PAUL, MINN. -- A five-month legislative debate over state forests came to a close Monday when the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill creating new regulations for off-highway vehicles. (BY SCOTT THISTLE, Duluth News Tribune via St. Paul Pioneer Press, 05/20/03)

STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM: GOP concedes stewardship cuts could hurt party MADISON, Wis. — A co-author of the proposal to cut the state Stewardship program in the name of cost savings has acknowledged that Republicans could be hurt by the political fallout from the cuts. (By Associated Press via St. Paul Pioneer Press, 05/20/03)

State panel will rethink limits on toxic gases (The revision is the result of lawmakers' rejection of rules related to livestock lots and other businesses.) Waterloo, Ia. - State environmental commissioners Monday informally agreed to pursue limits on two toxic gases from livestock confinements and other sources - again. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 05/20/03)

Bitter battle over a wetland: Family fights DNR for 23 years ST. PAUL, MINN. -- For 23 years, a Nicollet family has battled the Department of Natural Resources over whether a small wetland on their property could be legally drained. For 23 years, the family has lost in various courtrooms, including the state Supreme Court. But their sheer persistence apparently is about to pay off. Despite the DNR's repeated court victories, the Legislature approved a bill last week that will pay the family $26,000 to replace a drainage system that the DNR destroyed 10 years ago. (By Doug Smith, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 05/18/03)

Too much ethanol DES MOINES, IA -- New plants push ethanol supply beyond demand. With a number of new Midwest production plants opening, supply has surpassed demand. Ethanol prices have fallen 25 percent or more since mid-March, squeezing profit margins and eroding returns to investors in Iowa plants that make the corn-based fuel additive. (By ANNE FITZGERALD, Des Moines Register, 05/18/03)

Loons Sound Alarm on Mercury Contamination NORTH GRAFTON, MASS. -- For many North Americans, loons are a much-beloved bird, symbolizing the solitude of the deep-woods wilderness with their distinctive, haunting wail that echoes over the northern lakes where they breed in summertime. (by Sharon Guynup, National Geographic Today, 0516/03)

Experts float ideas on fighting lake invaders CHICAGO -- Everything from a dam to a "stairway to heaven" for fish was aired by experts from around the world Thursday as ways to make invasive species stop swimming from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, and vice versa. (BY GARY WISBY, Chicago Sun-Times, 05/16/03

Community-supported farms aid small farmers, save land HORSHAM, PENN. -- It's a common quip in Pennsylvania's old farming communities: The most popular crop today is a couple of acres for a yuppie house. But as development eats into farmland, a movement is growing to keep local farming in the community - and bring the local community back to the farm. (By Leslie A. Pappas, Philadelphia Inquirer, 05/15/03)

Senators eye implementation of farm bill at one-year mark
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing May 14 to examine the Department of Agriculture's implementation of the 2002 farm bill and ask USDA Secretary Ann Veneman about the implementation of programs included in the $45 billion, six-year law. (Environment & Energy Daily via ProgressiveFarmer.com, 05/12/03)

Neighbors of Vast Hog Farms Say Foul Air Endangers Their Health PAULDING, Ohio — Robert Thornell says that five years ago an invisible swirling poison invaded his family farm and the house he had built with his hands. It robbed him of his memory, his balance and his ability to work. It left him with mood swings, a stutter and fistfuls of pills. He went from doctor to doctor, unable to understand what was happening to him. (By JENNIFER 8. LEE, , NY Times [registration req'd], 05/11/03)

Bay Backers Seek Funds From Federal Spending Bills WASHINGTON, DC -- Leaders in the Chesapeake Bay cleanup are launching an ambitious bid to tap into big federal spending bills and secure a steady stream of cash, rather than scrambling each year to find ways to pay for the multibillion-dollar effort. (Anita Huslin, Washington Post, 05/10/03)

Health Czar Warns Fast-Food Joints to Shape Up WASHINGTON -- Fast food joints may soon get singled out by U.S. health czar Tommy Thompson if they don't shape up and stop feeding the country's obesity problem. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson on Thursday said public pressure may do far more than lawsuits and legislation to curb the junk food explosion that costs the government $117 billion each year in obesity-related health care costs. (By Randy Fabi, Reuters, 05/08/03)

Pesticides Linked with Prostate Cancer in Farmers WASHINGTON - Farmers who use certain pesticides seem to have a higher-than-average risk of prostate cancer. U.S. government researchers said on Thursday. The researchers, who published their study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, confirmed other findings that show farmers have an unusually high risk of prostate cancer. (Reuters, 05/01/03)

Army Corps to launch reorganization in fall WASHINGTON, DC -- In October, the Army Corps of Engineers will unveil plans for a major reorganization, the agency’s chief told employees on Tuesday. (By Amelia Gruber, Government Executive, 04/29/03)

With Government's Fall, River Is Revived MUSHRA, Iraq, April 27 — The children of this village were clustered together, leaning over the bank of the river, looking at the muddy brown water "It is like looking into the face of God," said Ahmad Kazam, 18. "Before we had no water, and now, the river is flowing for the first time." (By MARC SANTORA, NY Times [registration req'd], 04/28/03)

Perham farmer sentenced to jail for flagrant violations
Detroit Lakes, Minn -- A judge ordered a northern Minnesota dairy farmer to serve six months in jail and pay $123,000 in restitution and $6,000 in fines for violating Minnesota's wetland protection laws. (Doug Smith, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 04/27/03)

Experts tackle mystery of Wyth lake bacteria Waterloo, Ia. - State officials have found something other than swimmers in the George Wyth State Park swimming area. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 04/23/03)

Pregnant women, kids should avoid walleye, Minnesota guide advises ST. PAUL, MINN -- Minnesota fish are low in most contaminants except for mercury, health officials said in releasing the state's annual fish consumption guidelines Tuesday. Although fish is a healthy, low-fat source of protein, mercury is a concern because it can damage the central nervous system, particularly in developing fetuses and children under age 15. (Tom Meersman, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 04/23/03)

Something to Read Before Your Next Meal For anyone who has ever wondered why scientists and the public are so often at loggerheads over issues of food safety, Marion Nestle's provocative new book, "Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology and Bioterrorism" (University of California Press, 2003), provides something of an answer. (By MARIAN BURROS, NY Times [registration req'd, 04/23/03)

Doyle uses Earth Day talk to push protection for water MADISON, WISC. -- Gov. Jim Doyle used a news conference on the future of Wisconsin's water resources Tuesday to push the Legislature for a ban on the use of cyanide in mining and a law regulating high-capacity wells. (By TOM HELD, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, 04/22/03)

The Heartland Wrestles With Biotechnology MANNING, N.D. -- In a bar in this hamlet on the great American prairie, some wheat farmers gathered one night not long ago. They drove for miles through blowing snow, and more than 50 of them packed the Little Knife Saloon, doubling the regular population of Manning. They came to ask questions about a new kind of wheat, and the more they heard from a panel skeptical of the crop, the more their brows knitted in worry. (By Justin Gillis, Washington Post, 04/22/03)

Environmentalists Blast Bush Record on Earth Day WASHINGTON - Environmental groups commemorated Earth Day Tuesday by accusing the Bush Administration of undermining public health through rollbacks in air pollution and toxic-cleanup standards. (By Todd Zwillich, Reuters, 04/22/03)

On Earth Day, what's your 'Ecological Footprint?' Everybody loves the Earth. And why not? It supplies us with food, a place to live, places to go and ways to get there. (Karen Youso, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 04/22/03)

Bean rust creeps toward U.S. A crippling soybean rust disease from Asia is spreading through South America, and scientists are afraid it may invade the United States. (By JERRY PERKINS, Des Moines Register, 04/20/03)

Are turbines a bird hazard?
State biologists heard that wind turbines churning out electricity in northern Iowa had killed a bat or two. (By PERRY BEEMAN, Des Moines Register, 04/18/03)

Linking land and water quality ELBA, Minn. - From his desk, Paul Wotzka can check the current condition of 12 stream locations in southeastern Minnesota. He can monitor dissolved oxygen, flow, water level and temperature, just by turning on a computer in his office at Whitewater State Park. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 04/16/03)

Wagon Bridge coming closer to working order WINONA, MN -- With erosion kicking at its heels, the Old Wagon Bridge is getting the facelift it needs. After giving the city the lowest bid for the project, Schwab Co. began its share of the restoration last fall. (By Brian Krans, Winona Daily News, 04/14/03)

Fording a Dam LA CRESCENT, MN -- Delene Moser is the first woman to hold the title of lockmaster in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul district. (By TODD NELSON, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 03/10/03)

Power plant proposed at Lock & Dam 5 MINNIESKA, MN - An Idaho company is considering Lock & Dam 5 on the Mississippi River as a site for a hydroelectric power plant. Northwest Power Services Inc., of Rigby, Idaho, applying as MSR 5 Hydro LLC, filed a preliminary permit application Sept. 17 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 11/26/02)

Unexploded Arms Require Big Cleanup At 16,000 U.S. Sites
EPA Papers Note Major Health Risks WASHINGTON, D.C. - Unexploded munitions at 16,000 inactive military ranges, including chemical and biological weapons, pose "imminent and substantial" public health risks and could require the largest environmental cleanup program ever implemented by the U.S. government, according to newly released Environmental Protection Agency documents. (By Vernon Loeb, Washington Post, 11/25/02)

Biotech takes another hit Fears of contamination could slow biotech bonanza. Ames, Iowa - Iowa's efforts to grab a piece of what experts believe will be a biotechnology, and possibly an economic, revolution are in jeopardy after experimental corn was found in crops in Iowa and Nebraska. (By ANNE FITZGERALD, Des Moines Register, 11/24/02)

Studies Conflict on Common Herbicide's Effects on Frogs Salt Lake City - Despite the release of a flurry of new results in what is becoming an increasingly intense debate, scientists still have not reached a consensus as to whether the nation's most commonly used herbicide is harming amphibians in the wild. (By CAROL KAESUK YOON, NY Times [registration req'd], 11/19/02)

For the birds, fatal obstacles
ST. PAUL -- Some fall nights you hear them passing overhead, a migration chorus of cheeps and peeps in Minnesota skies, about a million songbirds heading south for the winter. Yet, increasingly, their songs are silenced: America's migrating birds fly a collision course with 92,000 tall communications towers and antennas beaming television, radio and cellular phone signals from coast to coast. (BY CYNTHIA BOYD,
Pioneer Press, 10/13/02)

Farmers win case against Iowa hog producer SAC CITY -- Iowa's largest hog producer was hit with a $33 million court judgment Wednesday in a nuisance lawsuit brought by a group of Sac County property owners..."This sends a message that these factory farms have got to clean up their act," said Hugh Espey of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, an organization that opposes large-scale hog confinements. (By CLARK KAUFFMAN, Des Moines Register, 10/10/02)

US farms called vulnerable to terrorism [Archived $] LAS VEGAS - They scarcely seem like the classic tools of terrorists: mooing cows, oinking pigs, and clucking chickens. But specialists in public health and agriculture warn that the nation's livestock and crops remain particularly vulnerable to terrorists, threatening the US agricultural system with viral and bacterial infections that could cripple the economy. (By Stephen Smith, Boston Globe, 11/22/02)

Funds to beef up fight to stop carp [Archived $] Fish barrier to get backup generator CHICAGO - In a new defense against advancing Asian carp, officials Tuesday announced $300,000 in emergency funds to prevent the invasive species from infiltrating Lake Michigan by swimming past an electric fence during a power outage. (By Julie Deardorff, Chicago Tribune, 11/20/02)

Environmental 'Magna Carta' law under fire A law that subjects all federal projects to an environmental-impact study faces review. ASHLAND, ORE. – What do whales off the Pacific Coast, fire-blackened forests in Colorado, and farmers in Oregon's Klamath Basin have in common? All are involved in lawsuits centered on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – the most sweeping of all US environmental laws. (By Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor, 11/7/02)

Dakota County sets its sights on preserving open space [Archived $] Dakota County's proposal to increase property taxes to preserve open space passed by a significant margin Tuesday, leaving county officials busy planning their next step. The plan to raise property taxes [to] raise $20 million over 10 years to buy or protect up to 10,000 acres of farmland and natural areas in the fast-growing county. (By Mike Kaszuba, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/7/02) See Dakota Co. Farmland and Natural Areas Project site. [Thanks for the heads up to Friends of the Mississippi River.]

Unlikely Partners Join to Fight Region's Growing Air Quality Problem [Archived $] ST. PAUL, Minn -- EPA Regional Administrator Tom Skinner Announces Grant to Fund Group's Work. A grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and matching funds from local companies helped launch a newly-created coalition of businesses, government, environmental and public health groups that will work to reduce air pollution in the Twin Cities. (PRNewswire, 10/31/02)

Fish Farming on the Rise in the Midwest [Archived $] URBANA, Ohio (AP) - Farmers worried about making a living off their land are turning to water. A growing number of Midwest farmers are diversifying into fish farming to supplement their income and shield their farms from falling crop prices, fickle weather and other financial pressures. (By JAMES HANNAH, Associated Press, 10/30/02)

These little piggies will bypass the market [May be archived.] COLFAX, Iowa -- Trying to bank some money on their hogs, producers Greg and Mollie Schlosser of Colfax are selling directly to consumers, who can pick which little piggy will end up on their dining room table. (By JERRY PERKINS, Des Moines Register, 10/03/02)

New organic rules debut today [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS -- It has been at least a little confusing to shop for organic products in the grocery store: There were several standards, set by individual states, for what makes a product organic, and no rules for how to label a product that was only partly organic. Category details. (Al Sicherman, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/21/02)

Healed once, Lake Erie in relapse, [Archived $] by Julie Deardorff, Chicago Tribune [registration req'd.], 10/18/02

Officials investigate manure, silage runoff [Archived $] ROLLINGSTONE, Minn. - Spills of manure and silage runoff on the Charlie Meyer dairy farm were under investigation Monday by state and county inspectors. Meyer's 500-cow Quarry Hill farm is five miles west of Rollingstone. Winona County feedlot officer Mark Gernes and Chuck Peterson and Jerry Hildebrandt of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency inspected the farm. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 10/15/02)

DM&E wetland permits on slow track [Archived $] Winona, Mn - Wetland permits are among the factors still bearing on Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's coal shipping and track expansion project. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 10/09/02)

More information about Minnesota soil and water conservation districts [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- For more information about candidates running for soil and water commissioner in the metro area, go to http://www.metroswcd.org. (Star Tribune, 10/8/02)

Fish and Wildlife names new manager of refuge complex [Archived $] Winona, Mn -- Don Hultman takes over today as the new manager of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. (By Betsy Bloom, Lee Newspapers, 10/07/02)

State high court takes boat inspection case [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Jeff Vlatkovich of the St. Louis County attorney's office appealed the case to the Supreme Court. "Conservation officers have to have some authority to ensure people are complying with the rules and regulations," he said Thursday. "There's no other practical and reasonable way to enforce the game and fish laws." (Doug Smith, Star Tribune, 10/4/02)

These little piggies will bypass the market COLFAX, Iowa -- Trying to bank some money on their hogs, producers Greg and Mollie Schlosser of Colfax are selling directly to consumers, who can pick which little piggy will end up on their dining room table. (By JERRY PERKINS, Des Moines Register, 10/03/02)

River program faces possible cut [Archived $] Congressional budget proposals threaten to reduce funding of a monitoring and habitat restoration program [EMP] on the Upper Mississippi River by as much as 40 percent. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 10/1/02)

Public joins refuge planning [Archived $] WINONA, MN -- Citizens had a chance Wednesday to tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service how it should manage the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 9/26/02)

Opinion: Love me, love my tomatoes [Archived $] CASCO BAY, Maine AROUND THIS TIME of year, I get tomatoes at my favorite local place. A hopeless tomato snob, I eat the vegetable/fruit only six weeks a year. I don't know what you call the things that pop up in salads all winter. I call them garnish. (By Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe, 9/26/02)

Pentel shares ideas on the Mississippi [Archived $] LA CRESCENT, Minn. - With the Mississippi River as a backdrop, Green Party gubernatorial candidate Ken Pentel Sunday unveiled several ways to make the river more economically and environmentally viable and urged area residents to help work toward that goal. (By Dan Springer, Lee Newspapers, 9/23/02)

Warm, sunny days keep crop development and fieldwork on schedule ST. PAUL, MN -- The spring wheat harvest is finally wrapping up in the major growing area of the Red River Valley, where only light rains fell. The spring wheat harvest was 95 percent complete, compared with 99 percent a year ago and 96 percent for the five-year average. (Associated Press, 9/17/02)

Feds want to reroute Milwaukee's Little Menomonee River MILWAUKEE, WI -- Creating a new riverbed for the small stream is a practical if rare solution for preventing public contact with chemical wastes, said Russ Hart, remedial project engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago. (Associated Press, 9/16/02)

Hog operators honored for improving environment [Archived] DES Moines -- Two Iowa hog operations are being honored for reducing manure odor and fertilizer use and improving the environment. (By JERRY PERKINS, Des Moines Register, 9/15/02)

Winona fined for dredge spills [Archived $] WINONA, Minn - The city of Winona has been fined $40,000 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for its failure to contain sediment dredged out of East Lake Winona and deposited in Riverbend Industrial Park. (By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News, 9/13/02)

Biotech crop guidelines raked [Archived] Washington, D.C. - The Bush administration's proposed guidelines for protecting the food supply from crops engineered to produce medicines and vaccines don't go far enough, a critic said. Monday. (By PHILIP BRASHER, Des Moines Register, 9/10/02)

USDA loans to keep water flowing for rural areas Several Iowa communities will be getting grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for rural water projects. (Register Editorial Board, Des Moines Register, 8/26/02)

DNR to discuss pike limits ST. PAUL, MN -- The Department of Natural Resources will hold public input meetings to discuss special regulation proposals for northern pike in 75 lakes in the state. (Jim Olichwier, Pioneer Press, 08/25/02)

Scenic-site quarry draws critics SOMERSET TOWNSHIP, WI -- Craig Bursch doesn't want to stand in the way of progress. But he'd like it better if the rock to pave the way were dug up from a less scenic site. (Kevin Harter, Pioneer Press, 08/21/02)

As Alien Invaders Proliferate, Conservationists Change Their Focus On a human-dominated planet, it is only natural that wilderness and wildlife will be increasingly disrupted, hemmed in or exterminated. (By ANDREW C. REVKIN and CAROL KAESUK YOON, NY Times [registration req'd], 8/20/02)

Water, water everywhere if we'd only stop to think... WASHINGTON -- Man has an almost infinite capacity for panic. That's the main lesson I took from Diane Raines Ward's thorough and thoughtful discussion on water and the political troubles it creates. (Marta Salij, Washington Bureau, 8/18/02)

Johannesburg and After, Editorial; Washington Post, [Archived $]

Fishing memories might be all that we have [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- A decade ago I returned home to Livinggood's Springs, the trout brook of my youth, and I couldn't recognize it, either. When I was a 12-year old fisherman who walked the banks of Livinggood's, there were giant cottonwoods and blue water trout holes and trout haunts created by the Civilian Conservation Corp. When I was a boy, Livinggood's didn't have car bodies in the pools and cow pies covering its banks. (Ron Schara, Star Tribune, 8/28/02)

Five-year restoration plan for lake under way [Archived $] HOUGHTON LAKE, MI -- The Houghton Lake Association, another group of property owners in the area, and the United Conservation Clubs unsuccessfully tried to sue to stop the lake's recent treatment, arguing that the treatment - using a chemical called fluridone - would be harmful. (AP, 8/24/02)

Crop spraying to crop spying [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- In addition to the drug-interdiction and forest-fire applications, the Spectra-View has been used by the U.S. Navy to check military landing sites for barriers and mines. And the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has used it to track the growth of a particularly noxious aquatic weed. (Dick Youngblood, Star Tribune, 8/18/02)

Opinion: ''Soil crisis'' is a pretense [Archived $] According to a small group of social activists in Kansas, American farmers are systematically raping the land so appallingly that our farm fields are losing the ability to produce healthy food. According to these activists, the abundance emanating from U.S. farmland is merely an illusion, and we're all headed for certain disaster if we don't make radical changes in our society and the way we farm. (By George McGovern, Rudy Boschwitz, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/17/02)

EPA: `No direct evidence' Milwaukee at fault for Chicago beach closures [Archived $] WASHINGTON -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman says there is no reason to blame Chicago beach closures on Milwaukee pollution. (AP, 8/14/02)

Muskie adventure draws a crowd [Archived $] MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The Minnesota DNR likely will get new leaders next year, given that Gov. Jesse Ventura isn't running for re-election. With that in mind, the Minnesota Conservation Officers' Association, which represents the 140 DNR conservation officers, published an open letter last week to gubernatorial candidates. (Doug Smith, Star Tribune, 8/11/02

Bush, With Senate Absent, Fills a Top Agriculture Post [Archived $] WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 — President Bush appointed an Iowa farmer to a top position at the Agriculture Department today, despite objections from members of Congress who said the man had made racially insensitive comments and had circumvented federal limits on farm subsidies. The appointee, Thomas Dorr, who will be under secretary of agriculture for rural development, has denied any wrongdoing. (By ROBERT PEAR, NY Times [registration req'd], 8/07/02)

In field, DNR officers bear burden of court decision [Archived $] SPICER, MN -- Conservation officer Mike O'Brien eases his boat onto Green Lake, frowning as he considers how a recent court ruling will affect his efforts to guard the state's natural resources. (Ashley H. Grant, AP, 8/6/02)

Swarms of Dying Mayflies Bring Good News McGREGOR, Iowa — Mayflies don't bite. They don't sting. They don't have mouths, so they don't even eat. They can live with that because they die in a day. (By PETER T. KILBORN, NY Times [registration req'd], 8/05/02)

Bush presses plan to cut pollution from power plants [Archived $] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Bush said Monday that his plan to cut pollution from power plants is "a market-based system that guarantees results" and has finally been submitted to Congress, five months after he proposed it. (AP, 7/30/02)

Farmers complain about taxes on swamps, woods [Archived $] MEQUON, WI. -- Wisconsin farmers complain they are paying more in taxes on swamps, woodlands and other land that generates no income for them. (AP, 7/30/02)

Harkin relents; Dorr vote proceeds WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa decided Monday to allow a committee vote on embattled Agriculture Department nominee Tom Dorr after the Bush administration refused to turn over additional records on the Iowan's finances. (Philip Brasher, Des Moines Register, 7/30/02)

Coastal 'crisis' grows: Annual dead zone largest to date
A low-oxygen "dead zone" that forms annually in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coastline covers 8,500 square miles this year -- an area about the size of the state of Massachusetts. (By MIKE DUNNE, Baton Rouge Advocate, 7/29/02)

Subsidy restrictions frustrate farmers WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After Congress passed the 1996 Freedom To Farm law, Sellers planted 31 acres of pumpkins, only to discover that the law prohibited farmers from planting fruits and vegetables on land that is enrolled in a federal farm program that provides a fixed annual payment for grain and cotton production. (Philip Brasher, Des Moines Register, 7/28/02)

[Archived $] Editorial Ways to pump life into the heartland The little town of New England, N.D., squats on the Great Plains of America's heartland ...Founded in 1909 by German immigrants and migrants from the Northeast who joined the great rush to the wide open spaces, this was a bustling place a half-century ago...But when I visited earlier this year, there was little of New England's one-time flourish left. Many of the storefronts had been boarded up. The Catholic school has closed, and the public school is slowly emptying, its former student body of 350 reduced to 220 and expected to drop to 140 within five years. (By JOEL KOTKIN, Albany [NY] Times Union, 7/29/02)

Lake water quality worsens this year MILWAUKEE, WI. -- Milwaukee's beaches stink worse and harbor dangerous levels of bacterial pollution more often this summer, phenomena that have experts floundering. (Steve Schultze, Journal Sentinel, 7/27/02)

School Barters Farm Goods ST. CHARLES, MO. [Archived $] (AP) - With hogs bringing 40 cents a pound on a good day, Gina Kientzy fretted that her family's farm income would slump so much that she couldn't afford to continue college. (By SCOTT CHARTON, Associated Press, 7/26/02)

EPA gives Minneapolis and St. Paul money to help ensure water safety [Archived $] ST. PAUL, MN. -- Minneapolis and St. Paul on Wednesday each received $115,000 from the federal government to help make sure drinking water in the Twin Cities area is safe. (AP, 7/24/02)

Hoping Egrets Replace Pollutants as River Undergoes Intensive Care [Archived $] NEWARK, NJ — Glimpsed from a commuter train or a passing car, the Passaic River looks like a dreary, coffee-stained channel marred by tumbledown factories, rotting piers and unidentified floating objects. (By ANDREW JACOBS, NY Times [registration req'd], 7/20/02)

Leadership means action, not observation [Archived $] Tuesday, Steve Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director since February, appeared in Rochester to speak to the national convention of the Izaak Walton League. The "Ikes," as they are called, have riled a few people in their day... though relatively few in number, Izaak Walton League members in many ways represent the best among natural resource stewards: They work from the grass roots up for clean air and water, and healthy fish and wildlife populations. (Dennis Anderson, Star Tribune, 7/19/02)