Access: Rattlesnake Gutter
June 2010
As you may or may not be aware, the WMCC has been actively working with the Town of Leverett to develop management strategies for rock-climbing in Rattlesnake Gutter. Currently, climbing is neither prohibited nor actively managed in the Town owned portion of the Gutter, which includes the majority of the boulders and cliffs within the gated road. In June, the Leverett Conservation Commission agreed to endorse WMCC efforts aimed at investigating the re-introduction of climbing in the area known as the “Main Cliff”-a privately owned section that has been closed to climbers (and the general public) since the late 80’s.
The Town of Leverett had recently purchased land for conservation purposes at the top of the “Main Cliff”. This land was purchased using Community Preservation Act funding, which requires that land must also have a Conservation Restriction (CR) placed on it. According to state law, this CR must be held by an entity other than the Town. The obvious choice to hold the CR was the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust (RGT), a local land trust comprised of passionate, mindful, and dedicated volunteers who work to protect land in Leverett.