July 9, 2025
Land
Conservation
Protecting special places
Upstate Forever's Land Conservation team works with landowners, partner organizations, and funders to protect special places in the rapidly growing region of Upstate South Carolina.
Honed by decades of experience and success, our approach to conservation is strategic, data-driven, and collaborative. Upstate Forever's nationally accredited land trust has permanently protected 40,000+ acres of mountains, meadows, forests, farms, wetlands, and riverbanks through conservation easements and partner projects across the Upstate.
What is a conservation Easement?
A conservation easement (also called a "conservation agreement") is a voluntary contract between a landowner and a qualified land trust, which allows the landowner to legally restrict certain undesirable land uses from occurring on their property.
This agreement is permanent and remains with the land even after it has been sold or willed to heirs. Conservation easements typically prevent land uses such as residential subdivisions, commercial or industrial operations, and mining, while allowing traditional rural land uses, such as farming, grazing, hunting, and timbering to continue. The terms of a conservation easement are negotiated around the kitchen table, and vary greatly depending on the landowner’s plans for their property.
We would love to help you honor your vision for conserving your property.
Conservation successes
With a strategic approach and strong partnerships, Upstate Forever has been at the forefront of conservation efforts in Greenville, Spartanburg, and other Upstate counties since 1998, resulting in the permanent protection of nearly 40,000 acres of land — including farms, forests, mountains, and rivers. Here are just a few of our conservation success stories.
What happens next?
Our work together doesn’t end when the conservation easement is signed.
Stewardship
Conservation stewardship is the ongoing monitoring of land protected by a conservation easement. Our expert Land Trust staff visits every conserved property annually to confirm its conservation values stay intact and continue to benefit future generations.
Land Management
Our Land Management team helps conservation easement holders restore and ensure the ecological health of their property. Restoration projects may include invasive species removal, native plantings, erosion control, and prescribed fire.
Additional Resources
recent Land Conservation Blogs
Want to protect your land?
Conservation easements are a voluntary, permanent way landowners can protect special places from development. For more information about partnering with UF to conserve your property, please contact our nationally-accredited Land Trust at landtrust@upstateforever.org.
Greenville, SC
507 Pettigru Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Spartanburg, SC
900 S. Pine St, Ste 1B
Spartanburg, SC 29302
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