Land Conservation

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July 20th 2018

Upstate Forever now permanently protects land at Gilkey Creek and Grassy Knob

Upstate Forever now protects nearly 500 acres on two tracts —the 353-acre Grassy Knob tract in Pickens County and the 135-acre Gilkey Creek tract in Cherokee County— through wetland and stream mitigation partnerships. Working closely with the SC Department of Transportation, Upstate Forever identified strategic projects that would satisfy the mitigation requirements for the impacts to waterways by local highway improvements, helping keep the much-needed infrastructure projects on-time and on-budget while protecting local headwater streams and critical habitat areas.

May 21st 2018

Protection expanded for extremely rare local plant

A 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 Trust Preserve. Upstate Forever and other partners opposed the development, called Bluestone Ridge, because it would have seriously threatened the survival of the bunched arrowhead, an extremely rare plant only found in four counties, including Greenville.

May 11th 2018

Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail opens

The first phase of mountain bike trails on Stumphouse Mountain in Oconee County is officially open! Six miles of trails are already accessible and ten total should be completed by the end of the year, linking the town of Walhalla to the Palmetto Trail. The Trail is built and managed by Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Upstate Forever holds the park land under a conservation easement, which permanently protects the property from development. We are honored to have worked with many sponsors and partners to complete this exciting project to improve access to nature in the Upstate.

December 15th 2017

Glassy Mountain Property in Pickens is Now Permanently Protected

PICKENS, SC — A tract of land near Glassy Mountain Heritage Trust Preserve in Pickens County that was once slated for a controversial real estate development has been permanently protected by a conservation easement. Upstate Forever was instrumental in working with the community and the owners of the proposed development site to realize a conservation outcome for this important tract of land at the base of Glassy Mountain, a Pickens County icon. The tract in question is critical to preserving the natural heritage of the area.

December 14th 2017

Furman professor and students conducted research on Upstate Forever protected lands

During the summer months of 2017, Furman University biology professor John Quinn and Emma Cook, a biology and sustainability science major, conducted research on selected Upstate Forever conservation lands to understand how bird species are responding to land use change across the Upstate region.

August 25th 2017

100 additional acres of historic Hester Dairy Farm are now permanently protected

A 110-acre tract formerly used to pasture cattle for the historic Hester Dairy in Pickens County is now permanently protected through a partnership between Upstate Forever and a conservation-minded landowner. Located just outside of Easley, the historic Hester Dairy Farm was purchased in the late 1800’s from Robert Elliot Holcombe, the first “citizen” of Easley. The Hester family embraces a long history of farming in the area that stretches from Easley through Dacusville and all the way to Pumpkintown, including the historic Hester Dairy Store.

August 7th 2017

Upstate Forever completes Critical Lands mapping project

With the generous support of Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Upstate Forever recently completed a mapping project to identify the region’s most environmentally sensitive lands in regards to water quality and high-quality habitat. Developed in partnership with Furman University and using advanced ecological modeling software, the map will be a key tool in determining the most effective ways to protect our region’s natural heritage – the most critically important farmlands, forests, natural areas, and public lands.

July 8th 2017

Cragmoor Farms expands protected land, offers farm-to-school project

Cragmoor Farms, a historic farm in Spartanburg County adjacent to the Walnut Grove Plantation, added more land to nearly triple its protected acreage. The initially protected site is already being prepared to grow food to benefit Spartanburg County School District Six schools. The 72-acre addition to Cragmoor Farms completes the 120-acre project and surrounds Walnut Grove, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public as a living history farm.

Land Conservation

Upstate Forever now permanently protects land at Gilkey Creek and Grassy Knob

Protection expanded for extremely rare local plant

Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail opens

Glassy Mountain Property in Pickens is Now Permanently Protected

Furman professor and students conducted research on Upstate Forever protected lands

100 additional acres of historic Hester Dairy Farm are now permanently protected

Upstate Forever completes Critical Lands mapping project

Cragmoor Farms expands protected land, offers farm-to-school project

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