Protecting Land & Water | Advocacy | Balanced Growth

Drop in at Liability Brewing for an Advocacy Happy Hour


Join us on June 27 from 6 - 8 pm at Greenville's Liability Brewing Company (109 West Stone Avenue, Ste. D) for an advocacy event! Enjoy light refreshments and your first drink on us while discussing energy and land use issues in the Upstate with our Energy & State Policy and Land Planning & Policy teams.


Our experts will explore Greenville County's anticipated Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Duke Energy Carolinas' Integrated Resource Plan, and more! Come learn about these issues, how you can get involved, and how to contact your representatives.


To RSVP, email Energy Advocate Michael Coleman at mcoleman@upstateforever.org by June 25th. We hope to see you there!

Now Hiring: Development Director

UF is seeking a Director of Development who will oversee all components of major and planned giving, membership/annual giving, cultivation events, and member activities. This leadership position works closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors while overseeing the Development team. Apply today

Save the date: Advocacy Training

On August 15 from 5 - 8 pm at the Cannon Center in Greer, our Land Planning & Policy team is hosting an interactive, hands-on training about "building bridges across the political divide." Enjoy a presentation and panel discussion. Please save the date and stay tuned for registration and event details!

Work hard, play hard

Our team works hard throughout the year to help protect the Upstate's special places and natural resources — but we take time to play hard, too! We had a great time at our summer staff fun day hiking, paddling, and enjoying camaraderie at Table Rock State Park! (Pictured: Rebecca Wade & Michael Coleman hiking Table Rock Trail)

Bramlett Rd. contamination update

Following the Public Comment Workshop on June 6, UF staff are developing comments for submission to SCDHEC in response to the proposal for coal tar ash contamination cleanup on Greenville's Bramlett Road. Join The Water Log and/or Greenville LPP Updates email lists to support a fair and just solution for the Southernside community.

In case you missed it: Read the latest issue of Upstate Advocate


The spring issue of our biannual publication Upstate Advocate is here! This issue features local residents' stories about how and why their work in conservation, advocacy, placemaking, and sustainable farming preserves the Upstate's precious places and history for future generations.


And be sure to read our interviews with local knee-high naturalists (a.k.a. UF staff kids ages 3-5), the next generation of Upstate conservationists. These hilarious and moving accounts of the Upstate's natural places remind us whose future we are working so hard to protect.


As always, we also provide team updates on protected properties, new staff members and Board of Directors, and publication favorites like "Ask an Advocate." Enjoy!

Read this issue

If you have not received a printed copy of the Upstate Advocate and would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an email to athacker@upstateforever.org with your mailing address.

More news, information & updates

UF staff anniversaries

We have two anniversaries to celebrate this June! Land Conservation Manager Chris Starker has been with Upstate Forever for sixteen years this month. Stewardship & Land Restoration Manager Lauren Ulich is celebrating three years with us.


Congratulations to these vital members of our Land Conservation team!

Help protect the Upstate's critical lands, waters, and unique character for future generations


By making a gift to the Generations Campaign, Upstate Forever's ambitious $7 million fundraising initiative, you will ensure the Upstate is a wonderful place to live, work, and play ten, twenty, even fifty years from now. You will ensure that your children and grandchildren continue to benefit from the unique quality of life made possible by our lands and waters.


You will make an impact on the people and places you love that will last for generations.

Support the Generations Campaign
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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.