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Environmental News

MPR News is your source for environment news from Minnesota and across the country.

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

Getting to Green is an MPR News series that shares stories about Minnesota’s clean energy transition, including what needs to be done to get there.

Submit a question or story for Getting to Green here.

Climate Cast

Listen to Climate Cast, the MPR News podcast all about our changing climate and its impact in Minnesota and worldwide.

Do farmers need to do more to protect state’s groundwater resources?

Do farmers need to do more to protect state’s groundwater resources?

Irrigation is the fastest growing use of groundwater, and an MPR News investigation broadcast this week chronicled how hundreds of farmers likely are pumping tens of thousands of gallons of water without DNR authorization or knowledge. The Minnesota Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would allow state officials to penalize anyone who uses large amounts…
by Michael Olson

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Federal plan to save prairie chickens ruffles state feathers

Federal plan to save prairie chickens ruffles state feathers

The federal government just listed the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species, but states are pushing back hard, saying that restrictions could negatively impact a number of industries.
by Frank Morris

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Climate Cast: Is Minnesota the new Nebraska for irrigated crops?

Climate Cast: Is Minnesota the new Nebraska for irrigated crops?

Climate change in action? You’ve see those green circles from 30,000 feet up as you fly over Nebraska. The circular irrigation systems pump billions of gallons of water to create fields of green where there was once dryness. My colleague, MPR News reporter Mark Steil, produced an excellent piece this week on how crop irrigation is exploding Read more →
by Paul Huttner

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Park Service won't bite on aid to Isle Royale wolves

Park Service won't bite on aid to Isle Royale wolves

Some researchers asked the National Park Service to intervene to help wolves survive, saying the animals are a vital part of the Lake Superior island's ecosystem. Officials, however, aren't ready to do that
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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Senate approves tougher water permit rules for DNR

Senate approves tougher water permit rules for DNR

The Minnesota Senate approved legislation that would give the Department of Natural Resources more authority to fine irrigators and others who use large amounts of groundwater without a permit.
by Dave Peters

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Environmental group questions Senate funds for White Bear Lake solution

Environmental group questions Senate funds for White Bear Lake solution

Friends of the Mississippi River says a Senate proposal to spend $800,000 studying whether to fill White Bear Lake with river water is a bad idea. It doesn’t solve the larger problem and it’s already being studied by the Metropolitan Council, the group says.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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Fond du Lac Band to spear walleye in 13 lakes

Fond du Lac Band to spear walleye in 13 lakes

The quotas for individual lakes range from 304 walleyes from Tait Lake north of Lutsen in Cook County to 59 for Cadotte Lake southeast of Hoyt Lakes in St. Louis County.
by Dan Kraker

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The future of clean, green fish farming could be indoor factories

The future of clean, green fish farming could be indoor factories

Aquaculture in the U.S. has lagged because of opposition from environmentalists and people living on the coast. But entrepreneurs say they've found a way to produce fish on land with little pollution.
by Dan Charles

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Change to St. Paul's recycling starts this week

Change to St. Paul's recycling starts this week

Starting Monday, St. Paul residents will be able to put all their recyclables together in one bin for curbside pickup. City officials say they hope it boosts recycling, which has stagnated in recent years.
by Jon Collins

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Unchecked irrigation threatens to sap Minnesota groundwater

Unchecked irrigation threatens to sap Minnesota groundwater

An MPR News investigation shows that several hundred Minnesota farmers are probably pumping groundwater to irrigate their crops without required permits, making it harder for the state to understand and regulate what's happening to a water resource increasingly seen as vulnerable.
by Mark Steil

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