Protecting Land & Water | Advocacy | Balanced Growth
Tickets on sale now for the ForeverGreen Luncheon
Upstate Forever’s ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon celebrates individuals and organizations for significant contributions in fields related to conservation and sustainable growth. This year's luncheon will be held on February 19th, 2019 at the Embassy Suites on Verdae Boulevard. Registration begins at 11 am and the program is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.
This year, we are pleased to have Mr. Paul Hilton, Partner, Portfolio Manager, and Research Analyst at Trillium Asset Management as our keynote speaker.

Paul will present "Investing for a Better World: The business case and the environmental imperative for sustainable investing." Founded in 1982, Trillium is the oldest investment firm exclusively focused on sustainable and responsible investing.

2019 Award Recipients:

The Marjorie E. Schmidt Stewardship Award
Dick Carr, for his tireless dedication to Upstate Forever for more than a decade. Read more

The Tommy Wyche Land Conservation Champion
Doug Harper, for his role in reauthorizing the SC Conservation Bank. Read more

Clean Water Champion
Nikki Grumbine, for her leadership with the Friends of the Reedy River. Read more

Land Planning & Policy Champion
The Northside Initiative, for their collaborative efforts to transform & revitalize Spartanburg’s Northside community. Read more

Public Servant of the Year
Phil Gaines, for his 37 years of service to the SC State Parks Service. Read more

Extraordinary Achievement Award
Dennis Chastain, for his 40+ years of work as a writer, historian, botanist, guide, and conservation advocate. Read more
Buy your tickets now and join us for the biggest green event in the Upstate!
More conservation successes
Upstate Forever's Land Trust closed several significant conservation easements towards the end of 2018. Included in these new easements are Oconee Town, Hartwell Headwaters, 55 Camperdown in Falls Park, and two properties to be added to expand Paris Mountain State Park. Read more
The legislative session is ON
The SC Legislature opened the 2019-2020 Session on January 8, and the conservation community hit the ground running. Big issues early on will be clean energy and coal ash. Read Shelley's rundown of Week 1 here and sign up to receive weekly legislative updates and action alerts.
Two new blueway maps
We’ve got new blueway maps hot off the press! There’s a brand new map for the Chauga River, as well as the long-awaited reprint of the Pacolet and Lawson's Fork. For a waterproof copy, visit our offices or email [email protected]. You can also download PDFs at our website.
Attn: Greenville County folks
Greenville County is hosting a series of community meetings at various locations this February. These meetings will give citizens an opportunity to provide input to inform the comprehensive plan. Dates, times and locations for all meetings can be found on the county's long range planning website.
Create a lasting legacy
When you make a planned gift to Upstate Forever, you help us achieve our goals for current and future generations while enjoying a wide variety of tax benefits. Visit our brand new planned giving site to learn about bequests, IRA rollovers, charitable lead trusts, and other ways to give. Read more
Upcoming volunteer work days
We have two great volunteer opportunities coming up: one at Cancer Survivors Park on February 23 (with TreesGreenville and the City of Greenville), and one at the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area on April 6 (with Trout Unlimited). Email Ginger Goldsmith at [email protected] to sign up.
Lower bills and a more sustainable energy future for all of SC
Upstate Forever is part of a coalition supporting a bipartisan agenda to pass significant clean energy legislation within the first 100 days of 2019. SC legislators have the opportunity to take action to support more jobs, customer energy choice, and lower bills. By opening energy markets to competition, South Carolina residents and businesses will share a brighter energy future. Learn more at www.cleanenergysc.com.
More News & Events
How the new tax code affects your giving
Are you 70 1/2 years of age or older? Under the new tax law, you may be able to make charitable contributions directly from your IRA to Upstate Forever and avoid paying income tax. Read more

Lake Conestee Nature Park is hiring!
Lake Conestee Nature Park is hiring a Park Conservationist. This person would be responsible for oversight, direction, coordination, and execution of the maintenance, management, service, support, and upkeep of the habitats and recreational and educational assets of LCNP. Please share the job description with anyone who might be a good candidate.

Mark your calendars:

  • ForeverGreen Luncheon: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the Embassy Suites on Verdae
  • Volunteer Work Day at Cancer Survivor's Park: Saturday, February 23, 2019
  • Crossroads Campaign Launch Party: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at Zen in Greenville
  • Volunteer Work Day at Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area: Saturday, April 6, 2019
Do you know about our other mailing lists?
Greenville Comp Plan Updates
Greenville City and County are scheduled to kick-off their comprehensive plan updates – which only happens every 10 years – later this year. Upstate Forever wants to help demystify and empower citizens to influence the Comprehensive Plan update process. Join this dedicated mailing list to receive updates and alerts for all Greenville-based comp plans.

SC Legislative Updates
While the Legislature is in session from January through May of each year, we post a weekly Legislative Update. If you would like these updates delivered to your inbox, you can sign up for this mailing list. We also issue Action Alerts on critical, time sensitive issues and provide the tools you need to contact your elected officials.



Follow us on social media:
Your tax-deductible gift to Upstate Forever will go directly toward protecting critical lands and saving special places in the Upstate.
Click the icons below to learn more about our work
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 .