By Jason Gabak

Like many organizations, the DeWitt Advisory Conservation Commission (DACC), has had to make adjustments to its plans for meetings as well as future events at least for the time being.
According to Dennis Payne, chair of the advisory commission, there are several projects the commission is working on and when they are able to resume, there will be plenty of work to be done.
After announcing the cancellation of its April meeting, Payne shared some thoughts in an email on what is on the horizon.
“We’ve been working on several subjects, so, when we finally resume, we’ll have some full agendas,” Payne wrote. “I’ve also had to cancel the Earth Day clean up. OCRRA has canceled the county-wide event so we need to do the same.”
Payne said even though the Earth Day cleanup is canceled and at this time people are being asked to maintain social distancing practices and use precautionary measures, this doesn’t mean there aren’t measures people can take to help keep their neighborhood and their community clean.
“There are things people can do,” Payne said. “People can pickup litter around their house or on their street or in their neighborhood and still make sure they are being safe.”
Payne said part of the mission of the DACC is to encourage community members to think about things like keeping their neighborhood clean on a year round basis.
“People think of Earth Day and they like to help do some cleanup and that is great,” Payne said. “But that is just once a year. The reality is there is litter all year long and there are things people can do to help, not just on Earth Day, but all year.”
Payne has also reached out to OCRRA about joining the DACC in a cleanup this fall in lieu of the Earth Day event.
“I’ve talked to people from OCRRA, and will continue to do so, because DeWitt still plans to conduct our fall clean up on Sept. 26,” Payne said. “I’ve suggested to the OCRRA people that they could join us and hold a county-wide fall clean up. They are thinking about that possibility so I will continue to discuss it with them. I’ve always wanted DeWitt’s fall event to become a county-wide clean up, so maybe the present circumstance can make that happen.”
Payne said he has also reached out to the county legislature to try to get more traction for the idea of a county-wide cleanup effort.
Generally Payne said cleanups are held in the spring and the fall because these are times when it is easiest to see refuse that has accumulated during the winter and summer months before and after things begin to bloom.
But in the interim, he said it was important to encourage people to do what they can to cleanup where they can.
Payne said DACC is an advisory board and its intention is to share ideas with the town board and work toward the overall betterment of the community.
To this end he said the commission is fortunate to have the support it does from the town board in its mission.
In addition to working with the town board to encourage the proposed solar array at the town’s old landfill site and promoting the use of renewable energy sources, the commission is also looking at areas of the town that it believes need to be conserved.
Payne pointed to the drumlins. He said some of these have already been developed and while others have not, he said there have been developers who have expressed interest in these areas.
Payne also pointed to the Butternut Creek corridor as an area that should be protected, particularly when taking the possible plans for changes to Routes 81 and 481 into consideration.
The Onondaga escarpment,, an area of cliffs and gorges is also an area Payne said the DACC has identified as a site to be mindful of.