Endowment President Receives Order of the Palmetto

In a ceremony held at Furman University today, Carlton Owen, President & CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment), was awarded the Order of the Palmetto.  The award, the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor for service, was bestowed by Furman President Dr. David Shi at a luncheon to honor Owen.  Shi noted that Owen was being recognized for “all you have done to better our part of the world over the years.”   The accompanying letter from Governor Mark Sanford recognized Owen for “a standard of excellence that is second to none.”  Specific accomplishments referenced were leadership in the development of Greenville County’s first rails-to-trails conversion — the 12-mile Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail linking Travelers Rest, Furman and the City of Greenville; Upstate House — the home construction project that brought green certification to South Carolina; and “Acres for America” — a creative partnership between Walmart and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation that in just the first five years of a ten year commitment has been instrumental in conservation of more than 600,000 acres of working forests and wildlife habitats across America.