Hatch's Hill | Conservation Mitigation Easement

Located in Wayne County NC

The Hatch’s Hill Conservation Easement is located on active farms used for cropland and pasture for goats, donkeys, and alpaca. The 56.2‐acre conservation easement includes multiple wetlands and waterways that are being restored and enhanced by our mitigation partner, Wildlands Engineering. Lee Branch spans the entire conservation easement area.

The property also has four unnamed tributaries that are referred to as Alpaca Creek, UT Alpaca Creek, Jackson Creek, and Tree Swing Creek. In total Wildlands’ restoration efforts will restore 13,927 linear feet (LF) of streams and re‐establish 11.9 acres enhance 21.1 acres, and create 3.0 acres of riparian wetland. Unique Places to Save’s conservation easement will ensure all of this important restoration work is protected into perpetuity.

The owners of the property, the Hatch family, has owned the land since 1892.  Mt Olive and Hwy 117 have grown all around it leaving a small family compound and family farm.  Rex and Faye Hatch are 89 and their children, grandchildren and other immediate family still live on “Hatch’s Hill” with them. They farm corn, beans, and various other crops, have goats, chickens, and occasionally other livestock including llamas, pigs, and horses. The family still gathers for a family-wide dinner on the property every Friday evening.

Rex and Faye’s goal for the stream restoration project and conservation easement was to restore their heavily eroded streams and leave the land and to protect the land for future generations.

Mitigation Partner