Updates and Articles

State research offers fresh look at a troubled Minnesota River

by Trevor Russell

August 16, 2019

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently released a series of reports, studies and plans addressing water contamination in the Minnesota River, the biggest tributary to the Mississippi in our state. It looks like the river is in need of some big changes if we're to meet our state's water quality goals. >>

Reconnecting with the river: MPR and North News share North Minneapolis' river stories

by sue rich

August 13, 2019

Recently, two local media projects from MPR and North News highlighted North Minneapolis residents' relationships with water and our Big River.

The MPR stories are a riveting listen, while the stunning North News issue is both a refreshing read and a graceful portrait of a community's multi-faceted relationship to the river. >>

Bold riverfront development plan rises in St. Paul

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

August 12, 2019

In the past, development proposals for the former county jail site in downtown St. Paul have fallen through. It's a challenging area: a bluff, railroad tracks and Shepard Road separate the river's edge from the city. But AECOM's proposed Riversedge project thinks big about how to overcome these challenges — and might ultimately deliver. >>

Attack of the killer... algae?

by Peter LaFontaine

August 9, 2019

A destructive storm can have a silver lining; Hurricane Barry seems to have lessened the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone. But this year's algae blooms are still hurting Minnesota's waterways. >>

NPR: As climate changes, taxpayers will shoulder larger U.S. payouts to farmers

by Trevor Russell

August 9, 2019

A recent National Public Radio story highlighted the risks that climate change may pose to both farm operations and Americans' pocketbooks in the years to come. >>

Listen: Kernza's continuous cover

by Peter LaFontaine

August 8, 2019

What is Kernza and why do some experts think it's such a big part of Minnesota's farming future? In the Land Stewardship Project's Ear to the Ground podcast, learn more from the people working to advance this exciting new crop. >>

Northern Metals granted extension to continue polluting

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

August 6, 2019

Following a settlement nearly two and a half years ago, Northern Metals Recycling agreed to stop its polluting operations on the North Minneapolis riverfront by August 1, 2019. That deadline has come and gone, yet Northern Metals is still operating. >>

Landslides are on the rise in Minnesota

by Irene Jones

August 6, 2019

Wetter weather has increased landslides that slough slopes into our roads and rivers, sometimes with dangerous consequences for water and life. A mapping project aims to identify risk areas so we can safeguard our slopes. >>

Self-inflicted brain drain at USDA threatens farm economy

by Peter LaFontaine

July 25, 2019

Leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are plowing forward with the relocation of two major research agencies, a move that threatens to push out hundreds of career staffers and undermine scientific inquiry. The country can't afford this setback at a time when the farm economy is threatened from all sides and clear analysis of these threats is paramount. >>

FMR supports protection of sacred sites at Indian Mounds Park

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

July 23, 2019

The discovery of additional potential burial sites at Indian Mounds Park will require rerouting trails. FMR supports the city's decision to protect sacred land while also calling for improved parks and trails elsewhere in the neighborhood. >>