Press Release: Voter Survey Points to Strong Support for Local Investment in Green Space
The 110+ acre Moore Farm (foreground) in Simpsonville. The property is being considered for protection via a conservation easement with partial funding approved by the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust. Additional funding is under consideration by the South Carolina Conservation Bank along with a significant donation by the landowners. Photo Credit: Scott Park, May 2025.
GREENVILLE, S.C. | May 20, 2025 – The Community Foundation of Greenville (CFG) and the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust (the Trust) today released findings from a public opinion survey regarding issues of importance to local voters and the use of tax dollars.
“While most Greenville County residents likely do not even know that the Historic and Natural Resources Trust exists, they are overwhelmingly supportive of using their tax dollars to add to parks, protect historic sites, as well as ensure that working farms and forests across the county remain in their natural state,” said Pam Shucker, Chair of the Trust.
Carlton Owen, Technical Advisor to the Trust and a former founding member of the Board as well as long-serving Chair said, “In just four years the Trust has worked to help protect open spaces across the county equivalent to 40 Unity Parks or an area two-thirds the size of Paris Mountain State Park. With a tangible record including 22 projects, we felt it was a good time to assess public interest in and support for our work.”
Results of the poll highlight three key findings, Owen said:
Concern about loss of green space is a black and white issue with voters. Fully 91% of respondents expressed concern, with less than 9% unconcerned. Only 0.3% did not have a view.
Nearly 8 in 10 expressed support for using a portion of their tax dollars for the work of the Trust.
93 of 100 respondents said the county should continue to invest tax dollars in open space conservation at least at current levels ($2 million/year), with 66% of those saying, “invest more.”
The survey was conducted in early April with responses from a representative cross-section of the population. Robert Cahaly, Principal of the Atlanta-based Trafalgar Group that conducted the survey, noted that 600 responses is what he termed a “deep poll.” In briefing survey sponsors about the results Cahaly noted that even he was surprised by the fact that “keeping taxes low and reducing spending" fell a distant fourth in issues important to voters and their families to "controlling growth & development," "improving roads & traffic," and even "reducing the cost of living."
Bob Morris, President of CFG, said, “We’ve repeatedly heard from our donors that they are concerned about the amount of open green space in Greenville County. That’s why we’ve been honored to provide funding support for two of the Trust’s projects – a 150-acre addition to Paris Mountain State Park and the purchase of 54 acres that will become the first new county park in more than 15 years. Providing financial support for this survey is just a natural extension of our work to help the greater Greenville community and our elected officials understand where our citizens stand on issues of importance to all.”
Other results of the survey include:
“Controlling growth & development” and “improving roads & traffic” were ranked as the top two issues of concern to citizens among seven topics listed.
In addition to use of their tax dollars to protect open spaces, respondents ranked impact fees for new development and a one-cent sales tax to fix roads & bridges with a “green” component as preferred options.
“Surprisingly, some miss the connection between their number one concern – controlling growth & development – and protection of lands via purchase or conservation easement,” said Owen. Conservation easements are voluntary agreements between private landowners and conservation nonprofits or public agencies that pay landowners for certain development rights that keep the lands as working forests or farms. “This survey specifically called out the lack of understanding about a vital conservation tool – conservation easements – and cost-effective protection of open spaces,” noted Owen.
Full results of the survey were presented to Greenville County Council at its Committee of the Whole meeting on the afternoon of May 20.
A companion survey open to any Greenville County resident received 330 responses with results mirroring, but in every case expressing even greater support for the work of the Trust than those of the statistically valid poll. Full results are available below.
Results of the Trafalgar Group Public Opinion Survey
Regarding Support for or Concerns About Investment of Local Tax Dollars in the work of the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust
Background: The Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust (the Trust) engaged the Trafalgar Group of Atlanta, with funding support from the Community Foundation of Greenville, to conduct a survey regarding public views about the work of the Trust. (NO tax dollars or funds from eligible entities were used.) As the Trust has completed four years as an arm of County government and has an established record upon which respondents could express their views, Board members felt it timely to determine the level of support for or concern about the work of the Trust.
The survey was conducted April 10-13, 2025, and involved 600 responses – what the firm called a “very deep” poll. It has a 3.5% margin of error with most of the firm’s polls besting predicted error margins. No background or introductory materials were provided other than the 10 questions that comprised the survey. The principal in the Trafalgar Group, Robert Cahaly, is a Pendleton, SC, native who has conducted dozens of polls across South Carolina. His firm was named the “best polling firm of the 2016 presidential race” and “the most accurate pollster of the cycle among firms that polled multiple Senate and governor races” by Real Clear Politics.
As part of its commitment to transparency and community engagement, the Trust posted a similar survey online, and promoted it through the media, to afford any citizen the opportunity to share their views. That survey was open April 15th - May 7th. Some 330 citizens completed the survey yielding results comparable to the Trafalgar poll. Responses were even more supportive of the Trust’s work, suggesting that respondents were those who were especially concerned about the topic.
RESULTS
1: (A “warm-up” to get respondents comfortable with process.) Which of the following should Greenville County officials focus on the most to help you and your family? (Respondents choose only 1)
Controlling growth and development: 27.4%
Improving roads and traffic: 23.9%
Reducing the cost of living: 17.9%
Keep taxes low & reduce spending: 14.8%
Improving public schools: 12.1%:
Fighting crime: 2.3%
Protecting water quality: 1.5%
2: Greenville County spends about 0.25% of its entire budget annually to help protect open space, add lands to our state parks, create new county parks, and protect historic sites. For each county dollar invested $5 in support comes from other sources. Do you support a small portion of your tax dollars being spent for these purposes?
Strongly support: 57.4%
Somewhat support: 21.3%
Strongly against: 9.4%
Somewhat against: 5.3%
Undecided: 6.6%
3: Do you support the county’s Historic and Natural Resources Trust using your local tax dollars to help expand and create new state parks in Greenville County?
Strongly support – 47.5%
Somewhat support – 24.9%
Total support – 72.4%
Somewhat against – 11.2%
Strongly against – 9.2%
Total against – 20.4%
Undecided – 7.3%
4: Do you support the county trust using your local tax dollars to create new county parks?
Strongly support – 44.3%
Somewhat support – 28.3%
Total support – 72.6%
Somewhat against – 9.4%
Strongly against – 10.5%
Total against – 19.9%
Undecided – 7.5%
5: Do you support the county trust using your local tax dollars to protect historic sites across the county?
Strongly support – 39.7%
Somewhat support – 38.1%
Total support – 77.8%
Somewhat against – 6.8%
Strongly against – 7.6%
Total against – 14.4%
Undecided – 7.9%
6: As Greenville County continues to attract new residents and the associated development that joins this, are you concerned about the loss of open spaces that will be available in the future to ensure the quality of life, recreational opportunities, as well as protection of our waters, wildlife, woodlands, and farms?
Very concerned – 71.6%
Somewhat concerned – 19.4%
Total concerned – 91.0%
Mostly unconcerned – 3.9%
Not concerned at all – 4.9%
Total unconcerned – 8.8%
Undecided – 0.3%
7: Charleston County, SC’s second most populated county, puts about $13.5 million per year into protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, farms, and forests. As the most populated county in SC, Greenville County invests between $1 and $ 2 million per year. Which of the following do you believe Greenville County should do?
Put more into conservation – 66.1%
Keep funding at $2M/year – 27.2%
Total wanting to increase/maintain funding – 93.3%
Cut conservation funding to zero – 3.2%
Reduce funding overall – 3.5%
Total wanting to reduce/eliminate funding – 6.7%
8: Which of the following would you support, if proposed, to help fund more rapid protection of open spaces in our fast-growing county?
Impact fees on each new home – 34.8%
One-cent sales tax (roads + green space/water protection) – 34.3%
Local bond initiative – 13.0%
None of these – 17.9%
9: A conservation easement limits the development of privately owned farms/forests and conserves open space at a fraction of the cost of a full purchase but does not allow general public access. Do you support the using of your tax dollars for this aspect of the Trust’s work?
Strongly support – 22.3%
Somewhat support – 24.0%
Total support – 46.3%
Somewhat against – 13.2%
Strongly against – 13.8%
Total against – 27.0%
Undecided – 26.8%
10: Supporters say that they will vote YES in favor of a proposal to fund land conservation in Greenville County because our area is growing so fast and we need to dedicate more to protecting our drinking water, rivers, natural areas, farms and forests, or we will lose our quality of life. Opponents say that they will vote NO on a proposal to fund land conservation because Greenville County needs to learn to live within its means and not raise taxes. Also, we can’t trust local politicians to spend this money wisely. Considering these statements, how would you plan to vote on a proposal to fund land conservation?
Definitely yes – 41.9%
Probably yes – 21.3%
Total YES – 63.2%
Probably no – 19.9%
Definitely no – 7.7%
Total NO – 27.6%
Undecided – 9.2%
Results of the Companion Survey Open to all Greenville County Residents
In addition to the statistically valid survey conducted by Trafalgar Group, the Trust conducted a separate companion survey open to all Greenville County residents. This survey, available online from April 15 to May 9 and promoted through local media outlets, received 330 responses. While not intended to be statistically representative, the results closely mirrored the findings of the Trafalgar poll, often with even stronger expressions of support. These responses offer additional insight into the views of residents who are especially engaged with the topic of open space protection.
About the Community Foundation of Greenville
The Community Foundation of Greenville improves the lives of Greenville County residents through strategic philanthropy, community investment, and collaborative leadership. For more information, visit www.cfgreenville.org.
About the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust
The Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust works to finance the protection of lands with significant natural, cultural, or historic value in Greenville County, South Carolina. It works with established organizations to fund projects to ensure those areas are protected for generations to come. Learn more at www.gchnrt.org.
