Land Trust Criteria

Upstate Forever
Guidelines for Conservation Agreements

         The mission of Upstate Forever is to promote sensible growth and protect special places in the Upstate.  The principal means by which the organization protects special places is the conservation agreement, also known as conservation easement.  These guidelines provide the basic criteria for determining what properties constitute “special places” that are eligible for protection through a conservation agreement.  The Board of Directors, however, reserves the right to consider and approve a conservation agreement on any property in the region, even if it does not meet these guidelines. 

The Law:
All agreements acquired by Upstate Forever will meet both the spirit and the letter of all applicable Federal, State and local statutes and regulations.

Focus Area:
Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Laurens, Greenwood, Oconee, Union and Cherokee Counties.  In addition, we will consider conservation agreements in North Carolina and Georgia where the property is located within a watershed of the above South Carolina counties.

Priority Properties:
Upstate Forever has identified the following priority areas in the region for protection:

• Tracts of 200 acres or more
• Tracts of 50 acres or more that adjoin other conservation properties
• Tracts of 50 acres or more that adjoin significant rivers, streams and wetlands
• The area north of Highway 11
• Other areas identified and approved by Upstate Forever Land Trust Committee.

Consistency with Local Land Use Plan:
Each prospective agreement property will be examined to ensure that protection of the property does not contravene the approved land use plan for the area.

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