Guidelines for Advocacy Work

LAND TRUST

A. UPSTATE FOREVER SUPPORTS FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS FOR PROTECTING IMPORTANT LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REGION THROUGH:

• 1. IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS THAT SHOULD BE HIGH PRIORITIES FOR CONSERVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES FOR THEIR PROTECTION
  Plans are important not only for developers and communities but also for conservationists.  Some areas are better suited for development, while others should be left alone. It is critically important to be proactive by identifying the latter areas and then establishing strategies to protect them.
  
  
• 2. CONTINUED AND INCREASED FUNDING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSERVATION BANK The South Carolina Conservation Bank is a statewide program for protecting, either through acquisition of title or the purchase of conservation agreements, important lands and natural and historic resources in the State.  It is funded entirely by diverting a small portion of the deed recording fee from the general fund to the Conservation Bank.  It is a funding method widely used by other states and localities throughout the United States.  Funding for the Conservation Bank should be continued and significantly increased.  The “death clause” in the original legislation, which eliminates all funding for the Conservation Bank when half or more of state agencies receive budget cuts, should be repealed.  When state budget cuts are necessary, the Conservation Bank should not be cut worse than other state agencies or programs.
  
  
• 3. THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSERVATION BANK SHOULD BE A PERMANENT PROGRAM
  The current law provides that the Conservation Bank will terminate in 2013.  We strongly support legislation to repeal this “sunset clause” and make the Bank a permanent program.
  
  
• 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNTY CONSERVATION BANKS
  The counties in South Carolina also should establish their own conservation banks to provide local funding for important projects.  Counties receive a portion of the deed recording fee and therefore could use the State approach in establishing their banks.  Other sources of funding are also available.
  
  
• 5. PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT OF TAX INCENTIVES THAT ENCOURAGE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTIES THROUGH CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS
  We support legislation to permanently improve the tax incentives for the protection of private lands through conservation agreements.
  
  
• 6. ADOPTION OF MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS FOR ACHIEVING LAND USE GOALS, SUCH AS TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAMS.
  Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is a voluntary, market-based program in which developers are given the incentive to purchase development rights in areas where growth is not desired (called “sending areas”) and to transfer those rights to areas where growth is desired and appropriate (called “receiving areas”).  Landowners in the sending areas, if they wish to participate, are paid for their development rights and essentially sign conservation agreements ensuring that their properties will not be developed, and developers, in turn, are allowed to add more units to their projects in the receiving areas.  TDR is now used successfully in over 200 communities throughout the United States and holds great promise for several areas of the Upstate.

  CLEAN AIR AND WATER

B. UPSTATE FOREVER PROMOTES AND ADVOCATES FOR:

• 1. MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY THROUGH:
  
  
  • (a) Compliance with Applicable Laws, Regulations and Ordinances.
    In many cases, water quality problems result from the failure to comply with laws, regulations and ordinances that are already on the books.
    
    
  • (b) Protection of the Remaining Free-Flowing Stretches of the Region’s Major Rivers and Streams.
    There are dams on nearly every major river in the Upstate.  In fact, some rivers, such as the Tugaloo, Seneca and Keowee, have been completely eliminated by dams.  While lakes are important and serve many useful purposes in the region, a top priority now should be to maintain and protect the remaining free-flowing sections of our region’s major rivers and streams.
    
    
  • (c) Adoption of Local Riparian Buffer Protection Programs and Ordinances.
    One of the most effective ways of maintaining and improving water quality is to protect the lands along lakes, rivers and streams, known as riparian areas.  These areas absorb runoff and pollutants, help maintain water temperatures, reduce erosion, and provide wildlife habitat.
    
    
  • (d) The Use of More Effective Strategies to Reduce and Manage Stormwater Runoff.
    One of the greatest impacts on water quality in the Upstate (and elsewhere) results from runoff from roads, parking lots, rooftops and other impervious surfaces.  The typical practice is to collect this runoff in pipes and drains and discharge it quickly to the nearest stream.  We should encourage and promote different and more effective ways of managing stormwater that reduce water quality impacts and development-induced flash flooding.
    
    
  • (e) The Use of Market-Based Incentives to Improve Water Quality.
    We support the use of effective market-based programs, such as the Stormwater Program Bank and the Floodplain Restoration Bank, to improve water quality.
    
    
• 2. UPSTATE FOREVER SUPPORTS MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING AIR QUALITY THROUGH:
  
  
  • (a) Compliance with the New Ground-Level Ozone Standard, and All Other National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
    Significant areas of the Upstate will likely be designated by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “nonattainment” for compliance with the new national ambient air quality standard for ground-level ozone, which will probably be issued in 2011. Because of the significant impact of land use changes across the Upstate on the entire region’s air quality, the nonattainment designation should be as broad as possible.  In addition, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and local governments in the Upstate should promptly adopt the policies, incentives and programs needed to ensure that the entire region meets the new standard by no later than the deadline (three years of EPA’s final nonattainment designation). The region should also maintain full compliance with all other national ambient air quality standards.
    
    
  • (b) Less Sprawling Patterns of Development and the Widespread Use of Alternative Methods of Transportation.
    Emissions from cars and trucks are the principal reason that much of our region will likely be designated as nonattainment for compliance with the ground-level ozone standard.  It will not be possible to achieve compliance with the standard through technological improvements alone. Our region must take steps to reduce the amount of driving (“vehicle miles traveled” or “VMTs”) by establishing less sprawling patterns of development and by promoting and supporting alternative methods of transportation, such as bus, light rail, bicycling and walking.  The basic goal should be for VMTs (on a per capita basis) to stabilize at 2009 levels and to steadily decline thereafter.  Achieving this goal will also substantially reduce particulate matter pollution levels in the region.

• 3. UPSTATE FOREVER SUPPORTS MEETING THE ENERGY NEEDS OF THE REGION BY GIVING TOP PRIORITY TO CONSERVATION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND RENEWABLE SOURCES.
  As is often said, “The cheapest kilowatt is the one not used.”  Therefore, the top priority for meeting the energy needs of the Upstate (and all regions) should be conservation, that is, not using energy at all unless it is truly needed.
  
  The second priority should be energy efficiency—when energy is needed, it should be delivered and used in the most efficient manner possible.  Two outstanding examples are our “Upstate House” project, the first EarthCraft home in South Carolina, and our main office in Greenville for which we received LEED certification at the highest level (platinum).
  
  The third priority should be renewable energy, such as solar, wind and biomass.  These sources have tremendous economic potential for our region (and all of South Carolina) since we would be using “home grown” sources of energy rather than paying for and importing non-renewable fuels from other states and countries.
  
  The last resort should be building new facilities that use non-renewable sources of energy.  We do not necessarily oppose the construction of a new nuclear facility as long as it is truly a last resort and all steps and measures have been taken to minimize the impacts of the facility.  Upstate Forever, however, does not consider nuclear energy as a renewable or clean energy source and opposes legislation and efforts to designate it as such. We are especially concerned about the method of handling and storing the radioactive waste generated by nuclear plants and the use of our region’s rivers, streams and lakes as sources of the huge amounts of water needed for their operation.  In addition, we do not support nuclear reprocessing unless all environmental and national security concerns are effectively addressed.
  
  
• 4. UPSTATE FOREVER SUPPORTS POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO OFFSET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT REMAIN AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND INCENTIVES DESCRIBED ABOVE.
  In reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the first priority should be full implementation of the policies, programs and incentives described above.  We support programs and policies for offsetting the emissions that remain after such implementation.

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

C. UPSTATE FOREVER PROMOTES AND ADVOCATES FOR SENSIBLE GROWTH BASED ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT* PRINCIPLES, INCLUDING:

• 1. MAKING EVERY REASONABLE EFFORT TO SITE NEW DEVELOPMENT WHERE SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (ROADS, WATER, SEWER, SCHOOLS AND BROADBAND) ALREADY EXIST.
  Developers are understandably attracted to good infrastructure and services, especially water, sewer, and schools.  Thus, one of the most effective ways to manage growth is to direct new development to areas where infrastructure and services already exist.  This conserves both tax dollars and land.
  
  
• 2. RECOGNIZING THAT PROVIDING NEW, OR EXPANDING EXISTING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES WILL ATTRACT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
  Closely related to policy 1 above is the irrefutable point that providing new, or expanding existing, infrastructure and services will attract growth and development.  Thus, another effective way to manage growth is to ensure that infrastructure and services are provided or extended only in areas where growth and development are desired.
  
  
• 3. SUPPORTING REGIONAL PLANNING INITIATIVES.
  We support Ten at the Top, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster regional trust and collaboration in the Upstate. We also support its initiative to adopt a Shared Upstate Growth Vision.
  
  
• 4. SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS.
  The essence of good planning is engaging the public in candid and vigorous discussions about the future of their communities.  Well-organized, well-funded “town hall meetings” would allow citizens to truly “design their destiny.”  All local government entities, including special purpose districts, must be an integral part of this process.
  
  
• 5. COMMUNICATING AND COORDINATING MORE EFFECTIVELY AMONG SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND CONSOLIDATING SOME SERVICES.
  There are hundreds of special purpose districts throughout the Upstate that provide water and sewer services and manage and operate public schools.  Little is known about some of these districts—their budgets, plans, and operations, yet the decisions they make have enormous consequences for growth and development patterns in the Upstate.  It is essential that these districts communicate regularly with one another and the general public and that expansion plans be carefully coordinated.  Moreover, some services should be consolidated in order to allow for more effective planning and to reduce duplication of services and costs.
  
  
• 6. PROVIDING HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE.
  One of the most effective means of managing growth is to ensure that housing is affordable in urban areas where services and infrastructure already exist.  Otherwise, many of our citizens will be forced to seek “cheap land” in rural areas.
  
  
• 7. PROMOTING AND ADOPTING STANDARDS FOR QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
  
  
  • (a) Adopting Local Ordinances Based on the Transect Approach.
    We support local ordinances based on the transect approach which focuses on the character and form of development rather than on the type of use.
    
    (b) Adopting and Strengthening Local Ordinances for Commercial Developments and Major Road Corridors.
    “We drive up and down the gruesome, tragic boulevards of commerce and we’re overwhelmed at the fantastic, awesome, stupefying ugliness of absolutely everything in sight….as though the whole thing had been designed by some diabolical force bent on making human beings miserable.”  This well-known statement from James Howard Kuntsler’s book, Road to Nowhere, accurately describes the condition of many of the major road corridors and commercial developments in the Upstate.  One effective way to address this problem is through the enactment of standards that require high quality development, including, without limitation, standards for buildings, landscaping, parking lots, sidewalks, signage and lighting.  As dramatically demonstrated by Greenville’s Main Street, local standards result in places that are both beautiful and economically prosperous.
    
    
  • (c) Adopting Comprehensive Tree Protection Ordinances.
    Comprehensive tree protection ordinances are needed to control the widespread development practice in the Upstate of removing all trees and vegetation from a site as the first step in the development process.  The details of such ordinances will vary from community to community in the region, but the basic principle would require the protection of some of the existing tree cover at a site and the restoration of some of the cover lost during development.
    
    
  • (d) Promote and Encourage the Use of “Green Design and Development” Principles for Buildings and Structures.
    The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity.  Technologies are now available that significantly reduce this impact, such as natural daylighting, natural ventilation, radiant barriers for roofs, carbon dioxide monitors, low emission paints and carpets, rainwater collection systems for irrigation and flushing toilets, use of solar, geothermal and wind energy, just to name a few.  These technologies not only reduce impacts and conserve resources but also result in wonderful places where people enjoy working, performance improves, and absenteeism decreases.   As the authors of Natural Capitalism eloquently write:  “Green buildings do not poison the air with fumes nor the soul with artificiality.  Instead, they create delight when entered, serenity and health when occupied, and regret when departed.”
    
    
  • (e) Support Infill Development and the Redevelopment, Revitalization and Reuse of Abandoned or Neglected Areas.
    In the urban areas of the Upstate, there are many vacant properties as well as developments that have been abandoned or have become neglected.  A top priority should be given to developing these vacant tracts (known as “infill development”) and to redeveloping the abandoned and neglected properties.
    
    
  • (f) Promote and Encourage Active Living Throughout the Upstate.
    Active living refers to a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. Unfortunately, being physically active has become more difficult for many people because of our growing dependence on the automobile, increased television use, the way we design our communities and neighborhoods, and the lack of public parks and natural areas. This sedentary lifestyle has taken its toll on our health. Physical inactivity is now a primary risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and many other illnesses. Improving the health and wellness of citizens in the Upstate through increased physical activity requires, among other things, more walkable, mixed use neighborhoods; more areas for people to walk and cycle; more parks and natural areas; and more activity-friendly schools

• 8. ADEQUATE FUNDING OF STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES THAT ADMINISTER NATURAL RESOURCE, PARKS AND OPEN SPACE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS.
  State and local agencies, such as the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and county and city parks and recreation departments in the Upstate, must receive sufficient funding to carry out their responsibilities under the law and to meet the needs of a growing population.
  
  
• 9. MAINTENANCE OF CURRENTLY DESIGNATED AREAS OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS AS “ROADLESS.”
  The Sumter National Forest in the Upstate and the Midlands contains about 252,000 acres. Together with the Francis Marion National Forest on the coast, these two forests represent 3.2 per cent of the total land area in the state. As the result of decades of road-building in these forests, only about 8,100 acres qualify as “roadless” under the current policy of the National Forest Service, and 6,000 of these acres are located in the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumter National Forest in Oconee County. The current policy generally prohibits the construction of new roads (and thus logging) in these “roadless areas.”  We support the continued protection of these areas.
  
  
• 10. OPPOSING THE SALE OR CLOSING OF ALL OR PART OF OUR PUBLIC PARKS AND NATURAL AREAS.
  Federal and state budget difficulties have led to proposals to sell or close public parks and natural areas or sections thereof.  This is not only an ill-advised and shortsighted way to address budget problems but also a betrayal of the public trust.  With a rapidly expanding population, we need more parks and natural areas for public use and enjoyment.
  
  
• 11. HOSPITALITY TAXES AND SHORT TERM INCREASES IN SALES TAXES AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR PARKS AND OPEN SPACE PROGRAMS.  (THE ADVOCACY FOR ANY OTHER TYPE OF TAX INCREASE MUST BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE UPSTATE FOREVER BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS A SEPARATE POLICY DECISION).
  An effective method of funding local parks and open space programs is through hospitality taxes and short term increases in the local sales taxes.  For example, we supported the hospitality taxes that were approved in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties and are being used to fund new and expanded parks and greenways.
  
  
• 12. SUPPORTING THE INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL RIVERS AND STREAMS IN STATE AND NATIONAL PROTECTION PROGRAMS.
  The Chattooga is the only Upstate river currently in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. There are, however, many other eligible rivers in our region, such as the Chauga and Cedar Creek in Oconee County. We support the inclusion of these and other eligible rivers in the system.  We also support the inclusion of similar rivers in the state wild and scenic rivers system.
  
  
• 13. ADVOCACY FOR RESTORATION OF NATURAL SYSTEMS AND FUNCTIONS WHERE FEASIBLE.
  Improper land management and development practices have adversely affected the integrity and functions of natural systems on private lands. In many cases, the benefits of restoring these systems far outweigh the costs. We support such restoration efforts.

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*“Sustainable development” means development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Sustainable development must be economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially equitable.