Join our team
We are hiring a Clean Water Manager to lead and implement strategic initiatives benefiting water quality and resources across the Upstate.
Site Map
- Home
- Who We Are
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Staff
- Sherry Barrett
- Sally Boman
- Kelsi Bondy
- Danna Brown
- Megan Burton
- Michael Coleman
- Joy Dickerson
- Lisa Hallo
- Erika Hollis
- Kaylee Judd
- Aldon Knight
- Morgan Martin
- Allie Martinsen
- Leigh McGill
- Scott Park
- Steely Parrott
- Grace Ross
- Boone Ruston
- Tre'Dessa Smalls
- Laura Smith
- Chris Starker
- Elizabeth Swails
- Ava Thacker
- Lauren Ulich
- Rebecca Wade
- Board
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Advisory Council
- Paul Agnew
- Amanda Bauknight
- Juan Brown
- Signe Cann
- Wes Cooler
- Dianne Culbertson
- Charles Dalton
- Mike Daniel
- Bob Erwin
- John Frampton
- Marianna Habisreutinger
- Dave Hargett
- Gina Hartness
- Wes Hulsey
- John Lane
- Drew Lanham
- Joe Lesesne
- Patrick McMillan
- Betty Montgomery
- Scott Montgomery
- Nell Newman
- Carlton Owen
- Leon Patterson
- Joan Peters
- Sue Priester
- Ron Rash
- Hon. Richard Riley
- David Shi
- Gus Speth
- Gaye Sprague
- Mark Taylor
- Kris Yon
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- Goals: 2023-2027
- Land Conservation
- Stewardship & Landowner Resources
- The Steward
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- Protecting Our Drinking Water
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- Clean Water Advocacy
- The Water Log
- Land Planning & Policy
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- Grassroots Community Outreach
- Citizens Planning Academy
- Energy & State Policy
- Energy
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Featured Projects
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Past Projects
- Duke Transmission Line Victory
- Kinder Morgan Pipeline Spill
- Keowee-Toxaway Relicensing
- Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail
- Web of Water
- The Saluda Grade Rail Trail
- Environmental Justice Panel Discussion
- Greenville County Historic & Natural Resources Trust
- Glassy Mountain Tract Protected
- Paris Mountain Hotel Opposition
- Clean Water
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News
- Upstate Forever files appeal in Glassy Mountain case
- Upstate Forever completes Critical Lands mapping project
- New Go Paddle website is live
- Upstate Forever received an $80K grant from Greenville Women Giving
- 100 additional acres of historic Hester Dairy Farm are now permanently protected
- With Whistle Stop #1 now open, Byrnes Linear Park is officially underway
- Cragmoor Farms expands protected land, offers farm-to-school project
- Upstate Forever Receives $90,000 Grant from the Jolley Foundation
- Glassy Mountain Property in Pickens is Now Permanently Protected
- Furman professor and students conducted research on Upstate Forever protected lands
- Upstate Forever receives $1 million gift honoring Marjorie E. Schmidt
- Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail opens
- Protection expanded for extremely rare local plant
- Upstate Forever Receives $75,000 Grant from Hollingsworth Funds
- Upstate Forever now permanently protects land at Gilkey Creek and Grassy Knob
- Greenville Housing Forum Recap
- Heart of Boiling Springs initiative completed
- Paris Mountain, Falls Park, Hartwell Headwaters among tracts protected in late 2018
- Ultra-rare plant habitat protected in Travelers Rest
- Thank you to past board chair Mark Taylor, and congratulations to new chair Joe Lesesne
- Keith, Jones, Sprague, and Workman join UF board of directors
- Upstate Forever to Seek Reaccreditation from the Land Trust Alliance
- Upstate Forever will transfer bikeshare operations to the City of Greenville in late 2019
- Upstate Forever and partners receive grant from the Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative
- Andrea Cooper selected to become Riley Fellow
- Oconee's Chau Ram Park has more than doubled in size thanks to land acquisition
- Upstate Forever exceeds $7.5 million capital campaign goal
- Conservation Director position named in honor of Glenn Hilliard
- Upstate Forever’s land trust renews national accreditation
- Landmark Supreme Court decision impacts Upstate pollution suit
- Upstate Forever awarded $3.9 million USDA funding partnership
- Upstate Forever Receives $75,000 from Hollingsworth Funds
- Southern Environmental Law Center: Duke Energy’s future rooftop solar customers can expect savings
- Southern Environmental Law Center: $1.5 million secured for watershed protection and awareness
- Upstate Forever Opposes PNG Gas Pipeline Project
- Greenville County adopts conservation trust fund to protect threatened resources
- Historic property in Travelers Rest permanently protected
- More than 2,000 acres protected by Upstate Forever in 2020
- Upstate Forever protects 664 acres in Abbeville County
- 300 Acres Permanently Protected in Northern Greenville County
- Greenville News Op-Ed: Piedmont Natural Gas is 'hiding the ball' on proposed new pipeline
- Greenville Journal Op-Ed: PNG pipeline threatens Greenville County’s economy and environment
- RV Park Opponents Ask DHEC to Rescind Septic Tank Permit
- Nearly 3,600 acres protected by Upstate Forever in 2021
- New Funding Opportunity for Anderson County Watershed Protection
- Nonprofits Seek to Buy Saluda Grade for Rail Trail
- Historic Soapstone Church and grounds permanently protected
- New fund helps clean up Anderson’s waterways
- More than 700 acres in Anderson, Greenville, Pickens Counties recently protected by Upstate Forever
- Agreement Reached on Saluda Grade Rail Line
- SC includes $10 million in new budget for the Saluda Grade Trail
- More forests, farms, and green space protected by Upstate Forever in 2023
- Aldon Knight to assume Executive Director role at Upstate Forever this Spring
- Ron Rash joins Upstate Forever’s Advisory Council
- Upstate Forever announces Generations Campaign
- Saluda Grade Trail Corridor Under Contract
- Grant Awarded for Saluda Grade Trail
- 500-acre Cedar Rock easement transferred to Upstate Forever
- Upstate Forever, landowners protect more than 170 acres of forests and critical waterways in Oconee
- Upstate Forever protected more than 1,100 acres in 2024 via conservation easements
- Upstate Forever to host 2025 ForeverGreen Awards
- Upstate Forever celebrates successful fundraising campaign, local conservationists
- Upstate Forever attains fourth national accreditation
- Upstate Forever announces nearly 450 acres in new conservation easements
- Stay informed as the SC Legislative Session begins
- Upstate Forever, 3 other local groups receive grants to continue clean water work in Anderson County
- Section 319 Grant awarded to Clean Water team
- Upstate Forever announces 2,100+ recently conserved acres
- Upstate Forever to host 2026 ForeverGreen Awards
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Blog
-
Land Conservation
- Recently protected properties
- Spotlight on: Upstate Land Conservation Fund
- Meet the Team: Board member Maurie Lawrence
- Recently protected: More than 170 acres in Oconee County
- Vanishing landscapes
- Meet the Team: Board member Christie Nachman
- Our People: Meet UF staff in the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- Conservation & advocacy wins of 2024
- Upstate Forever seeking reaccreditation from the Land Trust Alliance, public comment period now open
- Meet the Team: Land Conservation Operations Coordinator Laura Smith
- Aldon Knight to assume Executive Director role this spring
- Meet the Team: Board Member Phil Feisal
- Meet the Team: Board Treasurer Tom Kester
- 25 Highlights from 25 Years
- “Enough talking:” the early days of Upstate Forever
- Meet the Team: Land Policy Manager Allie Martinsen
- Heirs' Property is the Leading Cause of Black Involuntary Land Loss
- Meet the Team: Clean Water & GIS Manager Katie Hottel
- Businesses thriving on conservation properties
- Local funding is a key to conservation success
- Meet the Team: Assistant Director of Development and Community Relations Grace Flaspoehler
- Meet the Team: Clean Water Associate Rebecca Wade
- Meet the Team: Deputy Director Lisa Hallo
- Meet the Team: Communications Coordinator Elizabeth Swails
- Meet the Team: Clean Water Director Erika Hollis
- A guide to engaging with elected officials
- Meet the Team: Energy Advocate Michael Coleman
- Improving grassland bird habitat: A guide
- The reality of Black land loss
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Land Planning & Policy
- Citizens Planning Academy: Fall 2025 Presentations and Resources
- Update: Travelers Rest rejects Inn at Altamont
- Call to action: Protect Paris Mountain
- City of Anderson draft comprehensive plan released
- Big win for water! 50' riparian buffers in Greenville County
- How 'Missing Middle Housing' could help Spartanburg manage growth
- Rural land is disappearing: What's SC doing about it?
- What are Accessory Dwelling Units?
- Open Space Across the Upstate
- The intersection of conservation & smart growth
- 10 principles of smart growth
- How a walkable neighborhood changed my life
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Energy
- Another Duke rate hike?
- Data Centers in South Carolina: What to know
- Solar farms can benefit agriculture
- What's in South Carolina's sweeping new energy law?
- Ask an Advocate: What in the world is a "microgrid"?
- How do I deal with electric vehicle ‘range anxiety’?
- Clean energy creates jobs & drives innovation
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Clean Water
- Record of Decision announced for Bramlett Road cleanup
- Chattooga: Jewel of the Southeast
- How developed land impacts urban waters
- How are PFAS impacting South Carolina's waters?
- Anderson County Watershed Protection Council announces its first grant recipients
- What is SC doing about toxic 'forever chemicals?'
- Join our Clean Water team on a virtual tour of Anderson Regional Joint Water System’s treatment facility
- What is a Watershed-Based Plan?
- Choose your own adventure: Upstate paddle trips for all skill and thrill levels
- Stormwater and flooding tools for Upstate residents
- Dr. John Quinn: We should see waterways & forests as economic assets
- Bruce Adams: Water is essential for local food
- Brooks and Kay Wade: Our lakes, rivers, and streams make the Upstate beautiful
- How development impacts water quality
- Why Wetlands Matter
- Clean Water 101: Intro to River Contaminants
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Meet the Team
- Meet the Team: Board member Maurie Lawrence
- Meet the Team: Board member Christie Nachman
- Our People: Meet UF staff in the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- Meet the Team: Land Conservation Operations Coordinator Laura Smith
- Aldon Knight to assume Executive Director role this spring
- Meet the Team: Board Member Phil Feisal
- Meet the Team: Board Treasurer Tom Kester
- “Enough talking:” the early days of Upstate Forever
- Meet the Team: Land Policy Manager Allie Martinsen
- Meet the Team: Clean Water & GIS Manager Katie Hottel
- Meet the Team: Assistant Director of Development and Community Relations Grace Flaspoehler
- Meet the Team: Clean Water Associate Rebecca Wade
- Meet the Team: Deputy Director Lisa Hallo
- Meet the Team: Communications Coordinator Elizabeth Swails
- Meet the Team: Clean Water Director Erika Hollis
- Meet the Team: Energy Advocate Michael Coleman
- Stewardship
- State Policy
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Special Places
- Day Trips: Explore Upstate South Carolina
- Relax by the water in Anderson County
- Chase waterfalls and mountain bike adventure in Oconee County
- Explore cool urban greenways in Spartanburg County
- Take in mountain views in Pickens County
- Spend a leisurely day on the lake in Greenwood
- Saluda Grade Railroad Purchased for Rail Trail
- Saluda Grade Trail: Officially under contract
- Huge news! SC includes $10 million in new budget for the Saluda Grade Trail
- Breaking news: Agreement reached with Norfolk Southern to purchase the Saluda Grade rail line
- Three great treks for fall foliage viewing
- UF and partners seek to buy Saluda Grade for rail trail
- Waterfalls and Wildflowers: 5 great Upstate hikes to take in the sights and sounds of spring
- How to Preserve Nature While Hiking and Camping
- The trail that almost wasn't
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Our Community
- Happy Days: Inside the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- Celebrating Conservation Champions: Highlights from the 2026 ForeverGreen Luncheon
- Meet this year's ForeverGreen award recipients
- Love is in the Air: Share our conservation-themed Valentines with your special someone
- A Year of Impact: Celebrating Upstate Forever’s 2025 successes
- Remembering Dennis Chastain
- Ask an Advocate: Grassroots advocacy in Greenville County
- Bryson Children's Nature Walk is a gift to the community
- Inside South Carolina's one-of-a-kind farm school
- Nature play nurtures future conservationists
- Wild Childhood: Inside the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- Planning Today, Protecting Tomorrow
- Upstate SC farmers markets
- Q&A with The City of Greenville's inaugural Poet Laureate, Glenis Redmond
- Our remarkable region
- Rare + Wonderful: Explore Upstate gems in the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon 2025
- Generations Campaign update: $7 million goal surpassed
- Progress Towards Our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Goals in 2024
- Andrea Cooper honored with Resolution of Commendation and Appreciation
- A few updates post-Helene
- Q&A with itty bitty naturalists
- Building communities we love
- Honoring the land and its resources
- Empowering more voices in place-making
- Preserving the natural beauty that surrounds us
- Today and Tomorrow: Explore the latest issue of the Upstate Advocate
- The Green Book of SC: A Guide to African American Cultural Sites
- Progress Toward Our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Goals in 2023
- The City of Clemson puts sustainability at the forefront of conservation efforts
- 2023 ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon
- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Progress Report
- Local leaders share perspectives on conservation and economic development
- 2022 ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon
- Carfree commuting advice from a local expert
- Driven to Connect: Alix Pedraza
- Driven to Advocate: Sandy Hanebrink
- Driven to Heal: Mac Curry
- Driven to Preserve: Mable Owens Clarke
- Driven to Comfort: Diane Gluck
- Driven to Lead: Ruth Littlejohn
- Thank you, Fairway Subaru!
- Mable Owens Clarke is preserving Black history in Pickens County
- Progress Toward Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Goals
- Honoring the Cherokee tradition of land stewardship
- Wofford researchers analyze equitable access to greenspace in Spartanburg
- The road not taken… Delayed three years!
- Composting 101 with Sustaining Way
- Blue Wall High
- Wounds & Wildness: A conversation with authors John Lane and Drew Lanham
- Inspired: Stained Glass Artist Sherrill Hill
- Inspired: Watercolor Painter Dwight Rose
- Inspired: Sculptor Yuri Tsuzuki
- Inspired: Fiber Artist Sarah Mandell
- Inspired: Contemporary Landscape Painter Jessica Fields
- Inspired: Weaver Nancy Basket
- Inspired: Printmaker Kent Ambler
- Our commitment to racial justice
- We should all have access to clean and safe outdoor spaces
- Mary Duckett: Clean water is a basic human right
- Why should I care about conservation?
- Every last acre on earth
- A Message from Our Founder
-
Flora & Fauna
- Making a winter habitat
- Printable activity pages for little naturalists
- Steal their look: Halloween costumes inspired by Upstate SC wildlife
- This tiny, rare salamander calls the Chattooga area home
- Ghost (firefly) hunting in the Upstate
- Creepy Conservation: Halloween 2024
- Nature and wildlife photography tips
- 5 ways to cultivate a living landscape
- Healing urban ecosystems — the natural way
- Bicycle Botany at Stumphouse Park
- Where are the best birding spots in the Upstate?
- Creating a more equitable tree canopy
- Why plant native trees?
- Local plants and their uses by the Cherokee
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Land Conservation
- Newsletter
- Email Newsletters
- Upstate Update
-
Events
- Brews & Big Ideas
- Volunteer Workday: Invasive Species Removal at Nalley Brown Nature Park
- Volunteer Workday: Invasive Species Removal at Upper Shoals at Glendale
- ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon
- Earth Day Volunteer Workday
- Land Trust Day at Mast General Store
- Inside the Process: Local Planning & State Advocacy Mixer
- Protect More Land
- Privacy Policy
- Site Map
- testing
Site Map
Greenville, SC
507 Pettigru Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Spartanburg, SC
900 S. Pine St, Ste 1B
Spartanburg, SC 29302