The Trust for Public Land has acquired a 3.5-acre wooded tract on the side of Missionary Ridge near East Lake Park, TPL officials said.

The national conservation organization with an office in Chattanooga said the donation of the historically significant tract was by the Joseph Hammack estate.

Officials said the donation "marks another milestone in the organization’s efforts to help protect the state’s historic Civil War battlefields under its Heritage Lands Program. TPL hopes the property eventually can be transferred to the US National Park Service."

The undeveloped tract of mature hardwoods was the site of significant action during the Civil War. On Nov. 25, 1863, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his army attacked the Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg at Missionary Ridge, forcing their retreat. The victory ended the Confederate siege of Union troops at Chattanooga and helped restore Tennessee to the Union.

Officials said, "Its preservation in the middle of the city not only ensures the continuing interpretation of this seminal battle, it also protects Chattanooga’s adjoining City-owned East Lake Park."

Bobby Davenport, Chattanooga director for the Trust for Public Land, said, “The donation of this parcel is really part of a larger program to preserve a significant portion of the Missionary Ridge Battlefield, which includes Billy Goat Hill, five miles to the north.

“It is the fourth acquisition in a series of transactions we’ve done to protect the historically significant civil war sites throughout the city of Chattanooga.”

The Trust for Public Land is working with both local and national preservation groups as well as local government and federal agencies.

“Some future work on expanding the boundary will be funded by a unique collaboration with the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT),” Mr. Davenport said. “The CWPT supports the idea of advancing a significant project in Chattanooga’s congressional district. It is a timely collaboration that gives us an opportunity to move forward on protecting a significant historical and important environmental resource in an otherwise extremely competitive funding environment.”

Mr. Davenport said, "We've combined six positive attributes of land conservation in one project: beauty (mature hardwood forest); stunning views of the city; history (Civil War site); watershed protection; storm water and erosion control, and recreational opportunities by tying trails into the city's East Lake Park. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

He said it is especially important to preserve hillsides so there will not be extensive flooding problems in the valley below.

About TPL: TPL, founded in 1972, protects land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. Across the nation, TPL has saved more than 1.9 million acres of land. In Tennessee, TPL has helped protect more than 5,100 acres in the state. Its signature initiatives in Tennessee include its Heritage Lands Program and its Parks for People work on the Riverwalk Greenway. For more information, see www.tpl.org.