Protecting Land & Water | Advocacy | Balanced Growth

The Steward: Winter 2024

As we near the end of 2024, the Stewardship team is working diligently to complete annual monitoring assignments, finalize rights request responses, and facilitate end of year land management projects.

Amidst the typical end of year craziness, we would like to take a moment to pause and express our gratitude for our ever-growing network of conservation-minded landowners. We are inspired by your dedication, and we look forward to another great year of conservation easement stewardship and new land management projects in 2025.

Read on to see end-of-year land management metrics, learn more about the ecological and cultural importance of native river cane, and more. Wishing you all a happy holiday season!

Sincerely,

Stewardship & Land Restoration Manager Lauren Ulich

Land Stewardship Coordinator Ericka L. Berg

Land Stewardship Specialist Trevor Freeman

2024 Land Management Successes!

Acres of land restored: 216.2

Trees planted: 750

Workdays hosted: 3

Volunteers engaged: 40

Projects managed: 7

Additional acres anticipated by end of year: 35

We would love to chat with you about your management goals for your protected property in 2025! Email Lulich@upstateforever.org to learn more.

Easements with Ericka: Notice of Third Party Activities

Conservation easements can include Reserved Rights that allow for the lease of a portion of the property, often for recreational or agricultural purposes. For example —

a landowner may be able to lease a portion of the property to a hunt club or an individual for hunting or fishing, or a field to a neighbor for hay or crop production.

When these activities are being conducted on a conservation easement, our stewardship team needs to know. This is where the Notice of Third Party Activities section comes into play. This section of the conservation easement states that the landowner must keep the stewardship team informed on activities conducted or managed by third parties.

While it is important to let your stewardship team member know when these activities occur, it is especially important that these folks are educated on the provisions of the conservation easement, and they know if there are any restrictions that might affect their activities. It is your responsibility as the landowner to uphold any restrictions in the conservation easement.

Every easement is unique. For more information on this section of your conservation easement, refer to the Notice of Third Party Activities section, located after the Reserved Rights section. Questions? Reach out to Ericka at eberg@upstateforever.org.

Invasive Spotlight: English Ivy

English Ivy (Hedera helix) is easy to spot in the winter, growing along the forest floor or up the trunks of trees. Their glossy evergreen leaves provide a competitive advantage over many native forest plants as their leaves continue to grow and photosynthesize during the dormant season. Be aware that as ivy begin to establish on the trunks of trees, the vines will eventually damage and kill its host.

Learn more about how to manage English ivy and let stewardship staff know if you see this plant growing on your property!

Photo by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org

Helpful Resources and Upcoming Events

Check out this Hurricane Helene damage guide for landowners from the SC Forestry Commission
Read this reflection on the cultural importance of native river cane for indigenous people
Watch this short video on farmers planting native wildflower strips for big conservation wins
Tree planting workday in Spartanburg: Feb. 22
Wildflower planting workday in Spartanburg: March 5

Upstate Forever's Landowner Resource Guide

Before you go, enjoy some recent photos from the field!

UF staff and volunteers working hard to remove autumn olive from the Upper Shoals at Glendale property in Spartanburg County.

Fruit of the red chokecherry (Aronia arbutifolia) shrub provide an excellent food source for late season migrating birds.

Gorgeous blooms of a native liatris species emerge post-prescribed fire.

Land Trust Accreditation

As a nationally accredited land trust, we hold ourselves to high standards. We have met the highest national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. We have completed a rigorous review process; exhibited strong ethical practices; and demonstrated fiscal accountability, responsible governance and lasting stewardship of the lands we conserve.

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.