County ordinance protects Highway 11

PICKENS COUNTY — The Cherokee Foothills Highway (SC 11) traverses Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee Counties beneath the majestic Blue Ridge escarpment. Once a major thoroughfare for Cherokee and Keowee Indians, the nationally designated scenic highway now carves through small towns, pristine lakes, and wilderness areas across the Upstate. It has been featured in publications all over the country for the natural beauty that surrounds this quaint two lane highway.

Although designated a Scenic Highway by the Federal Highway Administration, official protections along the highway have been essentially non-existent.

Until recently.

Pickens County citizens can now be assured that SC Highway 11 will remain a scenic highway after County Council passed an ordinance protecting the area from unmanaged growth through such protections as a natural setback of 150 feet on each side of the highway, signage limitations and viewshed protections, among other things.

The ordinance also allows for a conservation bank so the county can purchase perpetual easements from private landowners for historic or natural preservation. This was done while also protecting the private property rights of homeowners in single-family dwellings, county officials said.

“In passing this ordinance, County Council struck the right balance between protecting our unique mountain vistas while also respecting the private property rights of the adjacent landowners,” said Pickens County Administrator Ken Roper. “Generations to come will experience the beauty and grandeur of the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway and I am gratified and thankful to live in a community that treasures and supports our unique natural areas like SC Highway 11.”

“Thanks to the Appalachian Council of Governments for leading the public input process, county staff who worked to get protections in place, and County Council for preserving scenic Highway 11 so that many generations to come will be able to enjoy its natural beauty,” they said.

The County’s new ordinance is a confidence boost for conservation organizations like Naturaland Trust and Upstate Forever, which have been working to preserve the tract of land along SC 11 for years.

Naturaland Trust focuses its conservation efforts in the Cherokee Foothills and Blue Ridge escarpment area of South Carolina. Protecting critical land linkages ensures that the watersheds, woodlands, and unique ecoregions of the Upstate will remain in their natural state and open to public use. Naturaland Trust currently owns and manages over 8,000 acres and has played a direct role in conserving and protecting another 100,000+ acres.

“Naturaland Trust has been working tirelessly to sustain the scenic quality of the Cherokee Foothills Highway through land acquisition and partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations,” the organization’s website reads. “Through the years, we have helped protect the Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area, Keowee-Toxaway Park, Caesar’s Head State Park, and the Mountain Bridge Wilderness.”

Since 2012 Naturaland Trust has competed nationally to receive funding from Scenic Byways Program to permanently protect many key tracts and vistas, anchoring the highway’s distinct features. Throughout the Program’s operation, Naturaland Trust was awarded $3,000,000 that went directly to acquisition costs of properties along Scenic Highway 11.

With these funds, Naturaland Trust was able to purchase and protect over 800 acres to keep the scenic qualities of the highway intact, forever.