Land Gift Honors Life of Fred Battaglia
OXFORD, NC – Tar River Land Conservancy (TRLC) staff recently hosted family and friends of Fred Battaglia for a tour of 22 acres of land donated by Mr. Battaglia to TRLC after his passing last October. The land gift to TRLC was the second made by Mr. Battaglia, who practiced law for many years and served as a judge in Durham. He previously donated a 59-acre property to TRLC in 2022. Both tracts are located southwest of Oxford between US Highway 15 and Old NC Highway 75.
“We were humbled to learn that Fred left his Granville County property to TRLC in his will,” stated Executive Director Derek Halberg. “He was a true friend and supporter of our organization. We knew how much this land meant to Fred. This gift will be a lasting testament to his love of the outdoors and his support for conservation.”
Since acquiring the land in 2014, Mr. Battaglia spent many hours hunting, exploring the woods, and managing the trees on the property. After harvesting the pine timber in recent years, Mr. Battaglia ensured that the land was replanted with a new generation of tree seedlings.
“My dad had a deep appreciation for nature,” noted Lowell Dyer, Fred’s son. “This property brought him much enjoyment, and our family is comforted to know that his land is now in the Conservancy’s hands and will be protected from development.”
The two tracts donated by Fred Battaglia adjoin a third tract acquired by TRLC in 2023. Combined, the three tracts total 112 acres located along Hatchers Run, a tributary of Fishing Creek. TRLC’s long-term vision is to manage the combined properties as the “Hatchers Run Nature Preserve.” Eventually, TRLC plans to create a network of hiking trails for local residents and visitors to explore. The future nature preserve is now a mix of pine and hardwood forest surrounding marshy wetlands that offer important wildlife habitat. TRLC volunteers have documented over sixty-five species of birds at the site since 2023.
“It was an honor to walk Fred’s land with his family and friends and to share TRLC’s plans,” Halberg said. “We look forward to more opportunities once work begins on the hiking trails in the coming years.”
TRLC is a nationally-accredited land trust that works to preserve natural resources across an eight-county region. TRLC currently maintains 14.8 miles of public hiking trails on five nature preserves in Granville County. Since 2000, TRLC has protected 24,397 acres of land and 216 miles of streams. Landowners interested in preserving their land are encouraged to contact the TRLC office at info@tarriver.org or 919-496-5902.
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