Upstate Forever to Seek Reaccreditation from the Land Trust Alliance
- July 10th 2019
The Land Trust Alliance’s land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. In 2008, Upstate Forever became the first land trust organization in South Carolina to receive national accreditation. Upstate Forever is pleased to announce it is now applying for renewal of accreditation.
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Nature Conservancy Transfers 955 Acres to Jones Gap State Park
- June 24th 2019
Jones Gap State Park has become approximately 25 percent larger following a donation of 955 acres to the SC Department of Parks, Recreations & Tourism from The Nature Conservancy. The property, known as Gap Creek, is protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement held by Upstate Forever.
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Ultra-rare plant habitat protected in Travelers Rest
- April 16th 2019
A 56-acre property in Travelers Rest once slated for subdivision development has been acquired by the SC DNR Heritage Trust and added to the adjacent Blackwell Heritage Preserve. Upstate Forever and other partners opposed the development, called Bluestone Ridge, because it would have seriously threatened the Heritage Preserve and the survival of the bunched arrowhead, an extremely rare plant only found in two counties: Hendersonville, NC and Greenville, SC.
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Thank you to past board chair Mark Taylor, and congratulations to new chair Joe Lesesne
- April 12th 2019
Many thanks to Mark Taylor for serving as Upstate Forever’s Board Chair for the past two years. Mark is the president of SynTerra and has been involved with Upstate Forever since it was formed in 1998. Along with Brad Wyche, Mark has also co-chaired the Crossroads Campaign Steering Committee for the past year, and has been integral to its success. He will remain on the board but has passed the reins to our new chair, Joe Lesesne.
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Keith, Jones, Sprague, and Workman join UF board of directors
- April 12th 2019
John Keith, Emelyn Jones, Gaye Sprague, and Neal Workman are the newest members of Upstate Forever's board of directors.
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Duke Energy's Shared Solar program has launched
- February 22nd 2019
Is your roof all wrong for solar panels? Or do you live in an apartment or have an HOA that doesn't allow panels? We are excited to spread the word about Duke Energy Carolina's new Shared Solar Program in the Upstate. Duke customers, including non-profits, can invest in off-site solar facilities and then see the benefits on their bill each month.
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Paris Mountain, Falls Park, Hartwell Headwaters among tracts protected in late 2018
- January 19th 2019
Upstate Forever's Land Trust closed several significant conservation easements towards the end of 2018, bringing our total protected land to 21,949.7 acres across the Upstate. Included in these new easements are two permanently protected properties will be added to expand Paris Mountain State Park, thanks to generous support from Michelin in the form of an Environmental Stewardship Grant. Other protected lands include Oconee Town, 55 Camperdown in Falls Park, Altamont Fields, and Hartwell Headwaters.
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Heart of Boiling Springs initiative completed
- October 26th 2018
We have just completed our two-year grassroots citizen education and community visioning initiative in Boiling Springs, a rapidly developing bedroom community in unincorporated Spartanburg County. The citizen-led community group Heart of Boiling Springs will lead efforts to ensure the initiative's outcomes inform future Area Performance Planning for the Central Region of Spartanburg County. A summary of the process and outputs was just presented to Spartanburg County Council on Oct. 15.
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