Upstate Forever announces 2,100+ recently conserved acres
February 19, 2026
Foster Fields in Spartanburg County
In the final months of 2025, local conservation nonprofit Upstate Forever worked with landowners and partners to close on more than 2,100 additional acres of conservation easements across seven counties: Anderson, Oconee, Greenville, Laurens, Pickens, and Spartanburg in SC, and Polk County in NC.
“We had a great year-end in 2025, with nine new and amended conservation easements closing over the course of a few months,” said Scott Park, Upstate Forever’s Glenn Hilliard Director of Land Conservation. “We are honored to work with dedicated landowners and partners to protect some beautiful properties that reflect the diversity of this region.”
The protected properties include mostly active agricultural land as well as forested and mixed landscapes that safeguard waterways, wildlife habitat, and rural character throughout the Upstate.
“We’re pleased to see such incredible land protection momentum in this fast-growing corner of the state,” said Raleigh West, director of the South Carolina Conservation Bank. “From farms to forests, these places define the character of the Upcountry.”
About these properties
Echols Farm, in Anderson County, is a 72-acre property that includes open fields, a small timber stand, and mixed forests, helping preserve agricultural lands and natural habitats in an area facing development pressure. The property protects more than 2,500 linear feet of streams and approximately 15 acres of wetlands associated with Three and Twenty Creek, which flows into Lake Hartwell. Project funders include the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) 319 Grant Program, the South Carolina Conservation Bank (SCCB), and the Upstate Land Conservation Fund (ULCF).
“The Upstate Land Conservation Fund is proud to be a partner in these conservation success stories,” said Brad Wyche, chair of the Upstate Land Conservation Fund Advisory Committee. “As our region continues to grow rapidly, nothing is more important than the protection of our valuable lands and waters.”
Big Garvin Creek Farm, in Anderson County, is a 253-acre family-owned cattle farm that protects rolling pastureland, a 32-acre pond, and forested riparian buffers along Big Garvin Creek. The property safeguards farmland and water resources in the Three and Twenty Creek watershed while maintaining the long-term sustainability of a true Upstate family farm. Project funders include the SCDES 319 Grant Program, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program, SCCB, and ULCF.
“The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is proud to partner in protecting South Carolina’s agricultural land through conservation easements,” said Kellee Melton, Acting State Conservationist of the NRCS in South Carolina. “It is a vital investment in our state’s heritage, economy, and future to ensure that the Palmetto State’s most productive soils remain fertile and free from rapid development for generations to come.”
Stevenson Century Farm straddles the Anderson-Oconee County line and is a 132-acre fourth-generation cattle and poultry farm. It contains approximately 75% prime farmland soils and over 4,000 feet of tributary streams feeding into Lake Hartwell. The tract joins three nearby properties under conservation easement with Upstate Forever and helps conserve agricultural production, open fields, and riparian habitats. Project funders include SCCB, the Oconee County Conservation Bank, and ULCF.
Moore Farm at Horsepen Creek is a 110-acre rural property in Greenville County with nearly 70 acres of prime farmland. It plays a significant role in buffering Horsepen Creek from nearby suburban development and stormwater runoff, preserving important riparian habitat. The conservation easement has short- and long-term impacts for water quality and native species preservation in Greenville County. Project funders include the Greenville County Historic & Natural Resources Trust, SCCB, and ULCF.
“The Lomas family’s decision to honor their uncle’s desire that his farm remain in its natural state speaks volumes about what is important to them,” said Carlton Owen, former chair and current technical advisor of the Greenville County Historic & Natural Resources Trust. “That decision also leaves a lasting legacy to current and future generations, who may never know the Lomas family or their ancestors but all benefit from their action.”
RML Timber, comprising 1,219 acres in Laurens County, is Upstate Forever’s second-largest conservation easement to date. It is a prime example of working lands in the Little River-Saluda River Watershed. Biodiversity thrives on the property, where timber is sustainably managed, allowing its forests, ponds, and shrublands to support native wildlife. This project was supported by SCCB, Sustain SC, and ULCF.
“Sustain SC’s Land and Water Action Platform is a conservation funding initiative that connects corporate investment with tangible conservation outcomes across South Carolina,” said Kristen Austin Gunter, Sustain SC’s Senior Vice President of Conservation. “Sustain SC is proud to support the conservation protection of the RML Timber and Duck Haven projects through the Land and Water Action Platform. We applaud Upstate Forever and the landowners for conserving this vital part of South Carolina’s natural landscape.”
Warrior Mountain Amendment 2 in Laurens County adds more than 57 acres to an already protected 376-acre property, further preserving hardwood forests, a pond, riparian areas, and a rocky ridge habitat with a monadnock known as Little Knob (historically called Warrior Mountain). This amendment ensures the protection of additional natural habitats in the area and was a full donation by the landowner.
“I am proud that the Pickens County Conservation Bank could partner with other community groups to preserve Duck Haven,” said Pickens County Administrator Ken Roper. “This unique property offers extensive habitats for our native plants and animals, all of which are essential for our natural heritage.”
“Shortly before we lost Mother to COVID in late 2021, I promised her I would find a way to keep our land together,” said Duck Haven landowner Alice Smith. “Our conservation easement honors many generations of our family for their hard work and sacrifices. While Mother didn’t live to see the easement in her lifetime, her children have. Young, third cousins will never witness developers and heavy equipment move in. Wildlife will keep their homes. It’s my home too. I love this place! It’s special the way it is, and with Upstate Forever’s help, it’s together, forever, and protected. I kept my promise. I’m sharing our story publicly to just maybe plant a seed: ‘If I can do it, so can you.’”
Foster Fields in Spartanburg County is 85 acres of pasture, mixed hardwoods, and stream frontage along Black Branch, Whitestone Spring Branch, and unnamed tributaries that all flow into Fairforest Creek. The conservation easement preserves working farmland, wildlife habitat, and a pond for migratory waterfowl, while maintaining the property’s rural character amid growing development pressures near Croft State Park. Project funding came from ULCF.
Long Lane Farm is a 73-acre equestrian farm in Polk County, NC, with rolling hills, managed pasture, hardwood forest, riparian areas, and scenic views of the Appalachian Mountains. Located just over the South Carolina state line and adjacent to another Upstate Forever conservation easement, the property protects more than 2,300 feet of Still Creek — a tributary of the North Pacolet River — while also providing habitat for federally protected species. This easement was a full donation by the landowner.
Another year of protecting Upstate lands
The 2025 totals are in — Upstate Forever protected more than 2,700 acres via conservation easements last year, including the properties listed above and others previously announced here and here.
In addition to enacting and stewarding conservation easements, Upstate Forever works to further cooperative regional land protection by supporting conservation partners on projects that benefit the Upstate. In these instances, Upstate Forever does not take on a new conservation easement but provides other support integral to the effort’s success.
In 2025, these additional projects with conservation partners — including the SC Farm Bureau Land Trust, Upper Savannah Land Trust, Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE), PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well, and Conserving Carolina — comprised more than 2,500 additional protected acres across the region.
Since its founding in 1998, Upstate Forever has permanently protected nearly 44,000 acres through conservation easements and partner efforts across the ten-county Upstate region of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union Counties and surrounding areas.
Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of the Upstate of South Carolina. We focus our work on the ten counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union. Since 1998, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special: our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and mountains. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor character, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Upstate Forever has offices in Greenville and Spartanburg. For more information, visit www.upstateforever.org.
