But in recent months, the Corps' plan has been tainted by scandal. Governor Jesse Ventura has signed Minnesota's controversial wolf-management bill into law. The legislation could ease the way for wolves in Minnesota to be taken off the federal endangered species list. The debate over biotechnology seems to get louder with each passing month. Critics of bioengineered crops say they're a threat to consumers and the environment.
Most scientists dismiss fears about the health risks of genetically-altered crops.
But there is no scientific consensus when it comes to their environmental impact. A study of X-rays taken of deformed frogs lends new support to the idea that there are many different causes for the frog deformities found in Minnesota and many other states. A report to be released finds an explosion of special-interest money in Minnesota politics over the past few years. The study gives ammunition to campaign finance reform supporters, who argue the 2000 elections are likely to be the most expensive in Minnesota history. Renville County's Lagoon Blues Big factory-style hog farming first came to Minnesota in the early 1990s.