Local Conservation Organization Engages Communities throughout the Butternut Creek Valley

On a balmy Tuesday evening in September, the Otsego County Conservation Association attended three municipal meetings at once. Former OCCA Executive Director Leslie Orzetti went to the Town of Pittsfield, former OCCA Assistant Planner Bailey Gano made the journey to the Town of New Lisbon, and OCCA Environmental Planner Danny Lapin, AICP paid a visit to the Town of Morris. The objective: to introduce the Butternut Creek Valley’s nine towns and two villages to the Butternut Creek Watershed Management Plan.

In New York State, municipalities have the authority to decide how land is used within their respective boundaries under Home Rule. Towns can decide whether they want to regulate land-use, how to plan for future growth, and what role local governments should play when it comes to protecting water quality. This fact compelled OCCA to establish open lines of communication with local governments early in the planning process. OCCA has taken that principle to heart. To date, OCCA has attended six Town Board meetings and have delivered 10 presentations throughout the area.

Successful watershed management plans rely on open communication between municipal governments and local planning entities. Local residents often have knowledge about a watershed that cannot be gleaned from a computer or a peer-reviewed paper. OCCA typically ends each local presentation by giving local officials a chance to share their perspectives on the largest water-related challenges and opportunities facing their municipality.

“Local leaders and dedicated community members usually are the best advocates for this type of planning,” said Lapin, OCCA asked local officials to mention the plan to at least five colleagues in the watershed to increase local interest in the planning process. OCCA’s goal is to attend Town Board meetings in all eleven watershed municipalities by the end of April 2020.