The Land Use Committee looks after the land around Pelican Lake — the Shoreland Restoration Garden at Schoepke Town Hall, and the Adopt-a-Highway program that keeps more than 13 miles of roadway clear of trash.
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Chair
Mary Schmitzer
Questions for the Committee? Email info@pelicanlakeassociation.org.
Why a Lake Association Works on Land
Everything that happens on the shore ends up in the water. A bank held together by deep-rooted native plants resists ice damage and wave erosion; a bare one washes into the lake a little more each spring. Trash left in a ditch reaches the lake through runoff. Neither program on this page is decorative — they are the above-water half of looking after a lake.
The Shoreland Restoration Garden
At Schoepke Town Hall on Highway 45, the garden has been maintained by association volunteers since 2014. It demonstrates what a healthy Northwoods shoreline looks like — deep-rooted native species chosen to hold the bank at the water’s edge against ice and erosion — and it does so at the spot thousands of people drive past every week.
Recent work has focused on expanding the range of native species and repairing damage from ice and erosion at the water’s edge, with deep-rooting native plugs supplied through a local garden centre. The town has repainted and resealed the carved bear and eagle that stand at the site. Grant applications are in progress to fund further improvements.
If you are thinking about your own shoreline, the garden is the easiest place in the area to see what actually works here. It is open to anyone, any time.
Adopt-a-Highway
Twice a year, in spring and fall, association members walk the roads around the lake and pick up what has been thrown out of car windows since the last time. Each event draws ten or twelve people and fills eight to ten bags.
What the association has committed to
- More than 13 miles of roadway — and since both sides get walked, more than 26 miles of roadside
- The county roads that wrap around the lake
- County G between Highway 45 and County B, and all of County B
- Highway 45 from the southern to the northern limits of the town
- Two events a year, spring and fall, each taking a morning
That is a real commitment for a group this size, which is why the program is always looking for people. Bags, vests and instructions are provided, you need nothing but boots and a couple of hours, and the events count toward community service hours for anyone who needs them — they are a good fit for students.
Members who pick up trash on their own walks the rest of the year are doing the same work, and the committee is grateful for it.
Coming Up
The spring and fall clean-ups and any garden work days are listed on the association’s calendar. Dates move with the weather, so check before you set out.
News & Minutes
Nothing has been posted for this committee yet.
Everything tagged Land Use — news, minutes, documents and meetings.
Give it a Morning
Of everything the association does, this is the easiest to join. No expertise, no season-long commitment, no equipment of your own — turn up in spring or fall, walk a stretch of road with people you will end up knowing, and go home having visibly improved the place.
Volunteer · Join the association · Give to shoreline and land work