Soapstone Baptist Church was established more than 150 years ago in Liberia, a small community in Pickens County settled by formerly enslaved African Americans and their families looking to start new lives in freedom after the Civil War. On its namesake soapstone outcropping and perched atop a ridge looking toward fields, forests, and the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the church has since served the community as a place of worship, fellowship, and education.

Together with sixth-generation steward and matriarch of the church Mable Owens Clarke, Pastor Chet Trower, South Carolina Conservation Bank, Upstate Land Conservation Fund, and integral partners and community members, our Land Conservation team is honored to have recently completed the protection of Soapstone Church through a conservation easement.

If you'd like to advance UF's goals related to land policy including protecting urban tree canopy and green spaces, expanding housing and mobility choices, protecting natural resources, and more, please apply by Sunday, October 30. Apply now

Autumn color is starting to pop all across the Upstate! From an accessible path close to town to a rugged trek, we've compiled three great trails that offer spectacular views of fall foliage and protected lands. Read the blog

In addition to the work our team does day in and day out to protect the Upstate's special places and advocate for a greener, healthier future, October has been jam-packed with fun events and opportunities to connect with friends new and old.

We had a blast at this year's Annual Meeting! Thank you to the UF supporters, staff, and board members who joined us to celebrate this year's conservation successes and enjoy a beautiful autumn afternoon in Pickens County's Eastatoee Valley. Our sincere special thanks to our hosts Mark and Starla Taylor, Eastatoee Community Farm Manager Sam Whigham, Executive Director of The Rensing Center Ellen Kochansky, and all who played a role in this special celebration. Click here to view more photos

Congratulations, graduates! We recently completed the Fall 2022 Citizens Planning Academy, our introductory land use planning course for Greenville-area residents. Participants learned from guest speakers and interactive exercise facilitators about community planning, smart growth principles, equity in planning, and more. Click here to view more photos

Fairway Subaru kicked off their annual Share the Love campaign with a celebration at Greenville's Double Stamp Brewery. We enjoyed getting to hang out with so many of you, as well as fellow Upstate conservation organizations! Click here to view more photos and stay tuned for more ways you can support our work through this partnership in the months to come

We were joined by an awesome group of volunteers for our Chau Ram Expansion workday! We removed litter, kudzu, and other invasive plant species from this protected property adjacent to the Chau Ram County Park as part of the South Carolina Land Trust Network's "Land Trust Days," a month-long celebration of SC’s special places and the local land trusts that work to protect our state's natural resources. Click here to view more photos

Congratulations to Executive Director Andrea Cooper and Deputy Director Lisa Hallo, who each celebrate anniversaries on the UF team this month! Andrea joined our team as Executive Director in 2015. Lisa joined in 2007 as Project Associate for the Clean Water Program. After several years in that position, Lisa became Land Policy Director, before finally assuming her current role as Deputy Director.

Dr. J. Drew Lanham is an Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University, widely published author, award-nominated poet, longtime friend of Upstate Forever, and member of our advisory council. He now has one major title to celebrate adding to his list of accomplishments — Dr. Lanham was recently named one of this year's 25 MacArthur Fellows. He is only the second South Carolinian in history to receive this prestigious "genius grant." Read more here from the Greenville Journal

Greenlink, Greenville's public transit system, is accepting applications for its upcoming Citizens Transit Academy, a free six-week program that offers Greenville County residents a unique opportunity to learn about public transportation and the opportunities and challenges facing Greenlink. Classes begin on January 3 and will be held on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 pm. The deadline to apply is Monday, October 31 at 11:59 pm — learn more and apply here.

Our Development team is in the process of switching donor data management systems. As such, you may experience delays receiving letters acknowledging your gift or other correspondence from our staff. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we make this important upgrade!

By including Upstate Forever in your will, trust, or estate plans, you can help safeguard the Upstate's natural resources and protect our region's high quality of life for future generations. If you are interested in learning more about planned gift options, please contact Aldon Knight, Director of Development and Community Relations, aknight@upstateforever.org or (706) 410-5896.

We appreciate your ongoing support of Upstate Forever, as well as the support of our partners who make a difference across the Upstate and beyond. Please consider a dedicated contribution to support efforts to restore the Chattooga Gorge. Read below for details on what's at stake, and donate here today!

The Chattooga River is a National Wild and Scenic River that attracts tens of thousands of people each year for rafting, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and hiking. The Chattooga flows wild and free for 58 miles and then comes to an abrupt end in Lake Tugalo, a reservoir created with the Tugalo Dam, built 100 years ago and owned by Georgia Power.

The Tugalo hydro facility is at the end of its lifespan. Although it generates only a negligible portion of Georgia Power’s total energy portfolio, the power company is proposing to invest more than $100 million to “modernize” the facility, just years ahead of its official relicensing (effectively ensuring it will be relicensed and the dam in place for decades longer).

Upstate Forever has joined forces with partners from the Restore Chattooga Gorge Coalition (RCG) to urge Georgia Power to study alternatives to this wasteful spending — including dam removal, which would restore the Chattooga Gorge and free-flowing condition of the river.  

Collaborative efforts by RCG asking Georgia Power to consider alternatives to “modernization” were unwelcome, so RCG recently filed an appeal to the Fulton County Superior Court that Georgia Power conduct a cost benefit analysis that is required by state law for the modernization action proposed. Your support will help cover the costs of legal fees for the ongoing Public Service Commission hearings.

Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina.  Over the past two decades, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special — our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and clean air. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor heritage, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Our vision is an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous Upstate that offers a high quality of life now and for future generations.

For more information, visit our website at upstateforever.org or send us an email.