Fargo ND has had a steady population growth over the last decade. The state's total population grew 4.7% from 2000 to 2010...below the national average...but good for a region that has suffered from depopulation of the Great Plains.
There has been an oil boom in ND western region and 90% of the state's area is used for farms and ranches. One of the most prevalent types of agriculture is corn ethanol plants. But studies have shown that local economic impacts of corn-based ethanol facilities are small. Unfortunately the promotion of the corn ethanol plants adds to the decline of the precious grasslands in ND. This grassland decline could lead to a decrease of up to 52% of Sedge Wrens, Grasshopper Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, and others that use the grasslands for nesting and stopovers.
Read more at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/136
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