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UF finalized conservation easements on nearly 800 acres last year
The numbers are in! Thanks to your support, last year our Land Trust worked with property owners to permanently protect an additional 783 acres of forests, farmlands, waterways, and green space across the Upstate via conservation easements. That's hundreds of acres critical to local agriculture, water quality, and wildlife habitat that will never be developed.
These special properties boast a range of diverse conservation benefits: prime soils, headwater streams, wetland ecosystems, outdoor classroom sites, and spectacular views of Grant Meadow and Table Rock, to name a few. What's more, additional projects with conservation partners — the South Carolina Farm Bureau Land Trust, Naturaland Trust, The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE), and Upper Savannah Land Trust — where Upstate Forever was integral to the effort’s success comprised 3,000 additional acres across Upstate South Carolina last year.
In 2023, South Carolina was named the fastest growing state in the nation, meaning these conservation efforts are more necessary than ever. We are tremendously grateful to the forward-thinking landowners, partners, and funders who helped make these projects happen for the benefit of future generations of Upstate residents. Without funding assistance from local, state, and federal entities like the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, Upstate Land Conservation Fund, and South Carolina Conservation Bank, much of this critically important land protection work would be impossible.
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