Highway 12 Clean Up

Cleaning Up U.S. Highway 12

Have you ever been driving along U.S. Highway 12 just north of Baraboo and noticed cans, bottles, and assorted garbage lining the roadway? Although most people are conscientious and do not litter, this section of road invariably receives a lot of litter. However, if you drove along this stretch of highway recently, you would have noticed that it is much cleaner. It is cleaner because youth from the Jack Young Middle School, Baraboo High School and Sauk Prairie High School volunteered their time and energy cleaning up the highway.

This highway cleanup project is sponsored by the Sauk County Land Conservation Department which has adopted this stretch of highway for the past 19 years. The Jack Young Middle School seventh grade students participate in cleaning up the highway through their Environmental Service Project. The Baraboo High School sophomore students participate as part of their Nature Study Program.  Sauk Prairie High School students have also spent time cleaning up the highway for their Advanced Biology class.  These are excellent examples of students giving back to their community.

The “Adopt-a-Highway” program offers several benefits to the community. It provides a cleaner and more attractive environment, serves as a reminder not to litter, instills civic pride, and saves the taxpayers money. Individuals and organizations can also volunteer their time and “adopt” a road. The “Adopt-a-Highway” program is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Sauk County Highway Department. If you are interested in adopting a highway, contact Department of Transportation Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator Donna Sanford at 246-3871.