Brownfield to greenspace: how volunteers renewed lakefront land.

Seeing their city as a blank canvas waiting for a splash of change and creativity, the founding members of the Conestee Foundation used their vision and hard labor to create a masterpiece of public land: the Lake Conestee Nature Park, an urban park used for passive recreation, conservation and environmental education. The Conestee Foundation deviated from traditional project methods and involved many participants in the project. As the park's originator, advocator and current managing agency, the Conestee Foundation overcame the initial pessimism, funding obstacles and land acquisition difficulties with only a small group of volunteers.

The Conestee Foundation originated in 2000 from the vision of a few concerned volunteers who created the organization to undertake a project unlike any other in the country. Members quickly recognized Lake Conestee, just south of Greenville, S.C., as an opportunity to transform a liability into an asset.

As a result of the dam that created it, Lake Conestee has served as a collection point for Greenville contaminants for the past century, creating a brownfield site--or site contaminated by runoff resulting from urban growth.

The foundation's cofounders, Dave Hargett and Dana Leavitt, were able to gather the momentum necessary to turn their vision of an urban park into a reality. The complexity and magnitude of undertaking the Lake Conestee Nature Park project and the creation of a nonprofit organization makes the project unique and a model for other park visionaries with limited resources.

Lake Conestee Nature Park

This foundation has completed what they term "phase I" of the park process, which includes the land purchases and the groundwork of advocating for support. They are now moving into "phase II," which includes a master plan incorporating recreation, conservation and environmental education objectives. The Conestee Foundation predicts Lake Conestee Nature Park will open by the end of the year.

The park is 260 acres located in the geographic center of Greenville County, S.C., an area where development is quickly expanding. The landscape is characterized by bottomland and upland forests, wetlands, open water and old pastures. Beaver, otters, blue herons, cattle egrets, white-tailed deer, snakes and turtles are among some of the resident wildlife in the park.

The Conestee Mill is located on the edge of the park adjacent to the dam, historically used to power the mill and the old mill town of Conestee. The Greenville County Woolpert Recreation Study, Clemson University Reedy River Corridor Study, and Greenville's Vision 2025 Plan respectively cite Lake Conestee Nature Park as an ideal location for a regional passive recreation park, a major hub on the Reedy River Greenway, and a "Must Do" 2025 project.

Funding

The cost for creating and advocating a park is hardly pocket change. The Conestee Foundation dedicated hours of work toward writing grants and managing details for land purchases, contamination studies, dam repairs, community awareness, educational programs and administrative costs. Creative with their funding sources, the Conestee Foundation successfully met each goal and surpassed expectations for the project.

The initial property, which includes the former Lake Conestee lakebed, the existing open water and the Conestee dam, was purchased using funds from a settlement from a local pipeline spill. Lucky for the foundation, Lake Conestee surpasses the requirements to obtain the settlement funds designated for activities to improve the water quality of the Reedy River.

When the opportunity arose to purchase an adjacent 110-acre property--a former dairy farm--the Conestee Foundation saw this land as the obvious entrance to the future park and a great location for trails, parking, wildlife habitat and education facilities. Confident in their abilities to secure funding needed to purchase the dairy farm property, the Conestee Foundation used four personal guarantors to obtain a loan from a local bank.

Satisfying the loan proved to be challenging, even after the Foundation received one of the first grants awarded by the South Carolina Conservation Bank for half of the loan amount with a required match within the year. Several local foundations contributed to the required match. One foundation, after members toured the property, awarded the Conestee Foundation a larger sum than they requested.

To help shrink the loan balance, the Conestee Foundation negotiated the sale of five acres of the property to the local fire district. The last source of funding to satisfy the loan came from county and federal transportation enhancement funds.

The transportation enhancement grant also included money for a paved bike and walking path through the park that would be wheelchair and stroller accessible. This path will potentially connect with the city's planned 22-mile greenway.

To complete the necessary research on the contamination of the area near the dam, a local environmental consulting firm, Pinnacle Consulting Group, worked with the Conestee Foundation and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The Conestee Foundation entered into a voluntary clean-up contract with DHEC in 2000, which acknowledges the foundation's position as a party not responsible in the creation of the brownfield site, but as the main catalyst in its restoration.

Dave Hargett, Conestee Foundation special consultant, stresses the importance of proper management in relation to the contaminants and notes that the completed research has shown that passive recreation and environmental education are completely compatible with Lake Conestee. DHEC awarded the foundation a grant for general appropriations which helps finance the required studies. The Conestee Foundation and Pinnacle Consulting Group work with the Army Corps of Engineers for dam maintenance projects.

After four unsuccessful applications, a grant from the South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism department kicked off plans for trails and boardwalks in the park. Board member Jim Gossett is using his career in engineering to head up the trails project in his retirement. Other board members also contribute their unique talents, which range from financial management to photography, and others make use of their connections with city officials. This collage of expertise allows each volunteer to spend time on activities they enjoy, while each contribution fits into the project like a piece of the overall puzzle.

Collaboration

The original Conestee Foundation board members saw the need for community involvement, so they gathered as much support as possible. Starting within the community of Conestee, the Conestee Foundation used a grant from a local foundation interested in strengthening communities to arrange public meetings and distribute newsletters. These community awareness activities helped answer questions and relieve worries of an initially apprehensive community.

The Conestee Foundation board also formed an advisory committee of community leaders and interested individuals to assist board members on strategic projects. Former Conestee Foundation president Dana Leavitt attributes the strong community support to Foundation-led tours of the property.

"When Greenville's influential individuals personally experience the beautiful natural area that will enhance residents' lives by providing recreational and educational opportunities, they understand the importance and urgency of making the project a reality," explains Leavitt. Although tours are time-consuming and troublesome to schedule, board members always arrange time to accommodate this support-strengthening activity.

For community leaders that are unable to visit the property, the Foundation makes sure they are acquainted with a media presentation, a video of the site, maps and photos. Each grant application includes detailed maps, photographs and information on the developing park.

Aside from support needed through grants, the Conestee Foundation used many local organizations and individuals to aid the park's development. The Foundation sought out groups that may have a special interest in the future urban park. Groups such as the Native Plant Society and the Wildlife Rehab of Greenville have shown interest in constructing facilities within the park for their respective focuses. The groups are more than willing to write letters of support for grant applications.

The Conestee Foundation also received a grant to involve the local school system in education programs. Although the Conestee Foundation has plans to expand the education program, the introduction to Lake Conestee Nature Park encouraged extra involvement from a few science teachers. Nearby universities researched Lake Conestee for its unique role in the watershed, as well as the presence and effects of the historical contaminants it contains. The Conestee Foundation emphasizes all of the possible research opportunities including those in history and archaeology.

To ensure the public's lasting enjoyment of the park, as well as to satisfy the stipulations of the Conservation Bank grant, the Conestee Foundation placed a conservation easement on the land through Upstate Forever, a local land trust and environmental organization. Upstate Forever also provided support for the Conestee Foundation through administrative duties and collaboration on specific projects. With the land secured and conservation easement executed, the Conestee Foundation turned to additional groups to help advance the park's infrastructure.

The fire district's location in the center of the park provides quick emergency service and also serves as what Leavitt describes as a "gatekeeper" service, discouraging unlawful activity. As an already active force in the community, the fire district also agreed to provide parking and restrooms for visitors.

To prevent the destructive ATV use on the property (incompatible with the passive recreation goals, contamination issues and the terms of the conservation easement), the Conestee Foundation entered into a Property Watch Program with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR). DNR officers will patrol the area at random, punishing rule violators.

The park's location within an urban river system results in a large deposit of trash with rain storms. The Foundation contacted the state anti-litter organization, Palmetto Pride, which is planning on expanding its highway program to include watersheds and intends on working with Lake Conestee Nature Park to manage trash.

Future

The Conestee Foundation has been diligent in working with the local government to collaborate on the city's and county's vision for the future of the park and surrounding lands. The Foundation has been negotiating plans to include the City of Greenville's nearby capped landfills to use as sports fields. Other city land, including a now unused stadium, along with some sewer land, may potentially be incorporated into Lake Conestee Nature Park to make it a 600- to 800-acre regional park. As it stands, Lake Conestee Nature Park provides opportunities unlike any other local resource.

The Conestee Foundation volunteers were able to create a public amenity for future generations, which has now expanded into a larger project. Although the momentum for the project is clearly established, the Conestee Foundation original volunteers have no intention of hanging up the masterpiece to dry quite yet. However they may let the newly hired executive director (first paid employee) and other key volunteers continue the hard work that has already been put forth.

For additional information on Lake Conestee Nature Park visit www.conestee park.com.

Controlling Invasive Plants

Invasive plants threaten the integrity of nature parks by competing with native plants and overtaking areas, creating dense monocultures. The resulting thickets of invasive plants alter the ability of the natural ecosystem to perform critical functions (such as filtering storm water and cleaning air), provide lower quality habitats for wildlife, and affect the aesthetic beauty and natural diversity for all park visitors, especially plant and animal enthusiasts.

Because the introduction and spread of invasive plants are linked to human activity and disturbed areas are especially vulnerable to plant invasion, invasive plant management is particularly relevant in urban parks, according to the Agriculture Department. Current research and land managers now support the concept of integrated pest management (IPM) in which the manager assesses the ecological significance of the invasive plant rather than eradicating every occurrence of normative species, which is often impossible and extremely costly.

This allows managers to prioritize areas, species, and time and funding resources before beginning control. The Agriculture Department recommends four components for effective invasive plant management, which include prevention, early detection and rapid response, control and management, and rehabilitation and restoration.

For more information on invasive plant management, visit www.invasivespecies info.gov.