-
January 2007:
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:
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. A map
of the trails that are all color coded is now available at each kiosk at the entrances for the “Carl Pipes Memorial Trail” and the “Litchfield Preserve Trail” both off Clapp Road. Parking is also now available at both entrances across the street. The Litchfield kiosk was made by Eagle Scout Sam Brigham and the Pipes kiosk was made by South Shore VoTech students.
-
Spring 2006:
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 thru their contribution for a Conservation Restriction thereby further protecting their watershed.
-
2004:
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:
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:
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 lecutres 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:
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:
Purchased a 7 acre parcel within the First Herring Brook Watershed
on Clapp Road.
|
 |
