Latest News
Our CPC project for Fall 2011 is the Higgins-MacAllister land containing approximately 31 acres in the west end of Scituate. MCT has been working on preserving this unique unfragmented forest of 400 acres for quite a few years now. The Higgins-MacAllister parcels represent another “piece of the puzzle” in the...
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2009  Wheelwright Property
The Trust facilitated the purchase of 47.6 more acres in the Bates Lane Conservation Area. The property was owned and farmed by the Wheelwright family of Cohasset for many years. The property consisted of three parcels along the Scituate Cohasset town line in the area of the Bates Lane. The land is primarily uplands and wooded.

The Trust submitted a proposal to the Scituate Community Preservation Committee to consider purchasing, with CPC funds, the 47 acres, and the purchase was approved at Annual Town Meeting. The CPC then applied for and received an EEA LAND Grant for $500,000 toward the purchase.

This brought the total conserved property in this forest to almost 300 acres!

2009  Hennessey Property
For the past two years the Trust has been working with the Hennessey family to help them explore ways of preserving as much of their property as possible for open space, while also meeting their fiduciary responsibility to the family.

We’re very excited about this project, as it utilizes the Flexible Open Space bylaw to preserve as much conservation land as possible. It has been designed as a five building/ten unit development, built on only 7 of the 39 acres. It will be a low impact design, with reduced impervious surfaces and green building methods. Right now, the Hennessey family is working with the Planning Board to obtain approval for their plan.

The Hennessey family is to be commended for their dedication to the preservation of this important ecological system, and for designing a plan that incorporates preserving as much acreage as possible while still maintaining their fiduciary responsibilities.

January, 2007  40 More Acres Preserved
The 40 acre Litchfield property was finally purchased by the Town of Scituate as conservation land and will be permanently protected by a Conservation Restriction held by the Cohasset Water Commissioners and the Maxwell Conservation Trust.

June, 2006  New Maps & Kiosks
With the approval of the Conservation Commission, the Trust with volunteers guided by experienced trail blazers Howard and Nancy Mathews made color coded markers. These markers were installed and now all trails are marked in the Bates Lane Area Forest.

Color coded maps of the trails are now available at each kiosk at the entrances for the “Carl Pipes Memorial Trail” and the “Litchfield Preserve Trail,” both off Clapp Road. The Litchfield kiosk was made by Eagle Scout Sam Brigham and the Pipes kiosk was made by South Shore VoTech students. Parking is also now available across the street at both entrances.

Spring, 2006  Unanimous Vote
The Trust with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) successfully brought the 40 acre Litchfield proposal to Scituate’s Town Meeting for a vote to purchase.

The vote to purchase was unanimous and brings the total open space preserved in this 450 acre forest to 225 acres.

The Trust has facilitated the purchase and permanent protection for 116 acres out of the 225 acres that are currently protected.

Cohasset Water Commissioners helped financially with this purchase through their contribution for a Conservation Restriction thereby further protecting their watershed.

2004  Closed on 76 Acres
On July 24, 2004, the Founders of the Maxwell Conservation Trust, Cynde and Wayne Robbins, closed on the 76 acre parcel of land on the East side of Bates Lane!

The Trust has been working on this project for over 5 years. In October 2002, the Trust brought the project to the newly created Community Preservation Committee in Scituate. The Trust worked with the CPC to create a plan that would allow the 76 acres (which adjoins the 95 acres already held in conservation) to be protected perpetually. A Town Meeting approved the purchase in March 2003.

The town purchased three of the five parcels for $760,000, and the Trust purchased the remaining two for $389,000. The Trust will hold a Conservation Restriction on the Town owned parcels.

This is part of the largest remaining unfragmented forest in Scituate, which contains important headwaters of our drinking supply.

This addition to public space will bring the trail capacity to around 2 ½ miles, covering a variety of ecosystems and habitats for the public to appreciate and enjoy!

2003  Purchase Pending
76 acres adjoining Scituate Conservation land and Bates Lane is currently under Purchase and Sale Agreement.

The Trust has until January 2004 to purchase the Bates Lane property.

We have raised significant funds toward the purchase and are working with the Community Preservation Commission for additional funding.

Note: The pending purchase will double the current Open Space Greenbelt available for public use.

January, 2003  Watershed Neighbors
Lance Van Lenten, Director of the First Herring Brook Watershed Initiative (fhbwi.org), secured a grant for a "Watershed Neighbors" project from the Riverways Program (part of the Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement).

The project included lectures by Samantha Woods, Executive Director, North and South Rivers Watershed Association, guided nature walks with Fred St. Ours, Entomologist and GIS Data Analyst, and land protection.
November, 2002  Ecological Assessment
A Preliminary Ecological Assessment of the 76-acre Bates Lane property in Scituate is complete. J. Andrew Walsh, Southeast Regional Ecologist of the Trustees of Reservations and Executive Committee member of Maxwell Conservation Trust, conducted the assessment and prepared the report.
2001  The Beginning
Purchased a 7 acre parcel within the First Herring Brook Watershed on Clapp Road.