UF's new State Policy Director, Michael Coleman, delivering opening remarks at the 2025 Senate briefing as the Co-Chair of the South Carolina Conservation Coalition.

Greetings!

Happy 2026! I’m Michael Coleman, Upstate Forever’s new State Policy Director. Megan Chase-Muller has accepted a fantastic job opportunity in Columbia, where she will continue to connect with state legislators. We wish her all the best and will be working alongside her on conservation initiatives.

I’m excited to step into this role after serving the past four years as Energy Advocate, and I look forward to continuing to guide our state policy priorities this year and beyond.

We are entering the final year of South Carolina’s two-year legislative session, which means bills that are not passed this year will “die” and need to be reintroduced as new legislation in the next session.

We have several important advocacy priorities taking center stage in 2026. At the state level, we'll be focusing on:

• improving access to land conservation
• advancing responsible management of our state’s waterways
• ensuring Upstate communities have a voice in energy projects

Together, these priorities will help build community resilience and protect our state’s unique natural resources. 

Tracking the bills that matter

This year, you’ll receive our legislative update once a month — breaking down what’s moving, what’s stalled, where public engagement can make a difference, and highlighting key moments from our work throughout the session.

Between email updates, you can check the Upstate Forever bill tracker to see the latest on everything we're keeping an eye on throughout the session. Right now, we're watching and supporting active bills that would:

• increase tax credits for property owners who place their land under a conservation easement (H.3409)
• require signage at National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) outfalls to keep the public informed and waterways clean (H.4102)
• establish Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs that make clean energy and resilience upgrades affordable and accessible (S.256)
• create the Young Farmer Loan Program that would offer no-interest loans to young farmers who place their land under conservation easement (H.3183)

Note: The bill tracker will be updated regularly throughout the session as new legislation is filed and existing bills advance.

Upcoming events:

• Conversations with Conservationists: Join the SC Conservation Coalition at the Statehouse on January 21 as we brief legislators on the critical conservation issues facing South Carolina in 2026, from energy affordability to land protection and clean water. Your presence sends a powerful message that constituents care deeply about safeguarding our environment and communities. You can register to attend here.

• Energy Affordability Advocacy Day: South Carolinians are facing some of the highest energy bills in the country, and constituent voices are critical in urging lawmakers to act. Join Coalition members at the Statehouse to meet with your legislators and share how rising energy costs are impacting your family and community. Energy affects us all — bring your colleagues, neighbors, and friends to strengthen our collective voice and make energy affordability, efficiency, and ratepayer protections top priorities in the 2026 session. You can register to attend here. 

This is just a small preview of what's ahead as the legislative session continues through May. Stay tuned for our upcoming monthly updates and feel free to forward them to family, friends, and colleagues who may want to sign up and receive them too.