News & Media

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

John Keith, Emelyn Jones, Gaye Sprague, and Neal Workman are the newest members of Upstate Forever's board of directors. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Nearly 200 attendees gathered at the Kroc Center on Friday October 19 for a Greenville County Housing Forum hosted by Upstate Forever in conjunction with numerous community partners. Forum attendees learned how shifting demographics are leading to increased demand for walkable, affordable urban living. They also explored how “missing middle” homes types could help meet that demand by expanding housing diversity at a variety of price points, while also using land efficiently – protecting rural character and preserving critical natural resources. read more