Pelican Rapids landowners band together to oppose campground proposal | The mighty 790 KFGO

PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn. (KFGO/KVRR) – Joseph Clauson wants to take land that has belonged to his family for more than 100 years at Grove Lake in Otter Tail County and convert it into a 26-unit commercial campground. The problem is that a group of landowners next to the proposed campground don't want people disturbing the land.

“We attended the meetings and spoke out against it on environmental grounds. We have bald eagles out here. We actually have two bald eagle nests right on the shore,” said landowner Franc Lerch.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in Minnesota allows you to build a nest within 330 feet of a nest outside of the breeding season.

Another major concern for residents is the possibility that zebra mussels could cause disruption to the ecosystem.

“We have no invasive species infestation out here at all. And why we don’t have that is because we control it, we know who comes in and out of our properties,” Lerch said.

Lerch has lived in his home for eight years, but has been in the area for over twenty years. He says the neighbors all look out for each other.

“So everything is peaceful and calm. We are neighborly. We build campfires, we cook outside together,” said Lerch.

One of the landowners who owns AP Concrete in Moorhead hired an attorney to represent the group. If the project is approved, the group will explore the possibility of taking legal action.

“Where we all go together, we all go. And we will fight it,” said Lerch.

The Otter Tail County Commission will meet Tuesday morning to discuss the proposal. We reached out to Clauson, but he had no comment.

Landowners have also created a website to inform the public about their issue and the impact it has on them.