Land stewardship plan up for revision

Luther College faculty and students are seeking community input to revise the land stewardship plan. Together they will decide whether approximately 1,000 acres of Luther-owned land should be developed or utilized by the college.

Currently Luther’s proposed land stewardship plan is drafted and open to community input before finalization at the Regents meeting in September.

“What we’re hoping for is an increase in broad perspectives,” Assistant Professor of Biology and member of the Land Stewardship Committee Eric Baack said. “Most of the comments we have been getting have been saying we are moving in the right direction, but we are still open to new proposals.”

Originally used for agricultural production in an effort to support the college, Luther’s natural areas have more recently been utilized for academic and recreational purposes. Currently, some of the land is used for ecosystem goals like wind energy.

“The goals of the land stewardship plan have not changed dramatically, except for recent changes that the community has been informed about, such as the athletic complex to be constructed on Luther land along Pole Line Road,” Baack said.

Other than certain land projects, like the athletic complex being carried out, the potential land preservation is a large part of the draft.

“Many needs of Luther have gone unmet in the last 20 years,” Baack said. “Our native forest is being invaded by harmful growth such as buckthorn and honeysuckle. If we don’t do anything about them now, we won’t have much of a natural forest years from now.”

Associate Professor of Biology and member of the Luther Stewardship Land Committee Beth Lynch agrees.

“A large part of what we are proposing for the plan is current, ongoing preservation of natural areas, such as Anderson Prairie,” Lynch said.

The plan, last updated in 1983, was brought up for revision by Lynch about three years ago. She suggested changes to better protect Luther’s natural forest.

“Lots of people use Luther land, such as runners, hikers and bikers, and therefore, it’s necessary to do something now to show how affected people are by the land and how they can help protect what they enjoy to use,” Lynch said.

Community involvement is greatly appreciated and desired, but student involvement in the stewardship plan is also invaluable to offer insight on the land usage. Students, like Jason Hagemeier (‘11), who are involved with the Luther stewardship plan can have a great deal of input and effect the land around Luther.

“I work in the biology department as a land stewardship intern and what that consists of is going out into these natural areas and doing evasive species removal,” Hagemeier said.

By volunteering his time, Hagemeier hopes other students can see how they can be involved with the natural areas.

“It’s important to know what’s going on with the land Luther owns, because we own so much,” Hagemeier said.