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UN to Launch $600M Clean Water Fund for Africa 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 SalijWashington Bureau, 8/18/02)

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)