Who We Are & What We Do

OUR VISION FOR THE UPSTATE:
An environmentally and economically prosperous region, with a high quality of life for all.

OUR MISSION:
Promoting sensible growth and protecting special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina.

OUR BASIC GOALS:

• Goal 1: Clean Water, Healthy Air and Abundant Green Space
• Goal 2: A Pattern of Development with Reduced Fiscal and Environmental Impacts
• Goal 3: Fully Informed and Engaged Citizens Throughout the Region

OUR FOCUS AREA:
The ten Upstate counties: Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.
(We occasionally also work in those parts of North Carolina and Georgia which lie within the watersheds of major Upstate rivers.)

OUR BASIC VALUES:

• We adhere to the highest standards of ethics and fair dealing.
• We do not endorse candidates for elected office, and we do not participate in partisan political campaigns in any way.
• We respect property rights, both private and public.
• We support voluntary, market-based programs and/or government initiatives to conserve resources and promote sustainable developments.
• We believe that communities may pursue and adopt reasonable restrictions on private property in order to provide for orderly development, to conserve important resources that are held in trust for all, and/or to make government services more cost effective.
• We support the use of best management practices when land and natural resources are disturbed, altered or developed.
• We adhere to the 2007 Guiding Principles and Best Practices for South Carolina Nonprofits, established by the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

OUR BASIC PROGRAMS:

• LAND TRUST: Protecting the Upstate’s important lands and resources.
  We work with landowners to voluntarily protect significant properties, primarily through conservation agreements. We were the first land trust in South Carolina to receive national accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance and now protect more than 16,000 acres of farms, forests, natural areas, and other special places in the Upstate.
• CLEAN AIR AND WATER: Protecting and improving the Upstate’s air and water.
  We work to minimize the impact of stormwater, protect watersheds, and ensure adequate stream flows and lake levels. The program also endeavors to improve air quality, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and use energy more efficiently.
• SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: Promoting economically, socially, and environmentally sound growth in the Upstate.
  We support sensible land use and infrastructure planning, adaptive reuse, revitalization of existing communities, active living initiatives, and an expansion of parks and natural areas. This kind of growth is a win-win for our region since it reduces both fiscal and environmental impacts. 

Across all three programs, we work to educate policy makers, business leaders, and the public on important issues and potential solutions. We publish a semi-annual newsletter, the Upstate Advocate; a monthly bulletin, the Upstate Update, and a weekly Legislative Update during the South Carolina legislative session.  We also maintain this website; sponsor conferences, lectures, and workshops; take numerous field trips; and speak to many different groups and organizations throughout the region.

OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2011-2015

GUIDELINES FOR ADVOCACY WORK

Founded in 1998, we now have over 2,000 members, a staff of 17 (full- and part-time), and two offices — our main office in Greenville, and an office in Spartanburg.

For more information, please call 864.250.0500 or e-mail us at info@upstateforever.org.