2024 Fall Newsletter

Welcome to the Friends of Alta bi-annual newsletter.

In this newsletter:

 Let It Snow  2024 Fall Newsletter introduction - Kody Fox, FOA Executive Director

 Summary of Summer  Recap of our Summer Stewardship Events - Tara Morin, FOA Operations Manager

 Chair's Message  Message from our board chair - Del Draper, FOA Board Chair  Exit Reflection 2024 BLF  BLF Fellowship Recap - Dylanger McKissen, FOA 2024 BLF  Litigation Update  Litigation Update - Pat Shea, FOA Legal Counsel  Legislative Update  Legislative Update - Zac Bramble, The Lockhart Group  New Merchandise: Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon Book  Read more about our new merchandise that launched this fall and get a copy for yourself.  Board Updates  Welcome our new VP, Jamie Stockham, and call to action for new board members  June 30, 2024 Annual Report  See our financials for FY 23/24

 Ways to Show Your Support 

See way to show your support of FOA and purchase merchandise this holiday season

 FY 23/24 Donor Thank You's 

Thank you to our incredible donors this last fiscal year for supporting FOA!

By: Kody Fox Executive Director, Friends of Alta

Greetings from beautiful Alta! Where after two record-breaking seasons of snowfall, we find ourselves playing a game of wait and see. The 2024-2025 season is off to a slow start, with Alta Ski Area reporting a total of 84 inches of snow so far, a drop from the 117 inches received by this point in 2023-2024 and from the 150 inches received by this point in 2022-2023. The record-breaking snowfall of the past two seasons brought with it a record number of skiers, approximately 7 million, to Utah resorts both years, a 22% increase over just three years ago. When the heavy snow eventually hits this season, the expectation is for that trend to continue. Record-breaking visitation numbers will only make existing congestion issues in Little Cottonwood Canyon more glaring. The time to implement commonsense solutions to address these issues is now.

Commonsense Solutions

While our fight to stop the construction of the world’s longest gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon continues, there are things that can and should be done to mitigate traffic congestion in the canyon in the short-term that are not addressed in UDOT’s Record of Decision but are broadly supported by both sides of the gondola debate. Two such examples are enforcement of current traction laws, and improved merging between Alta and Snowbird resorts. These solutions can be swiftly and affordably implemented to improve canyon congestion immediately, and no eventual solution to congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon will be successful without addressing these two issues first.

Friends of Alta vs the Gondola

When Friends of Alta made the decision to file a legal challenge to UDOT's decision to install the longest gondola in the world in Little Cottonwood Canyon, we were aware of the challenges we would face as a small nonprofit organization going up against an opposition with far more resources and much deeper pockets than us. Our opposition is organized, well-connected, well-funded, and determined to install the gondola regardless of how unpopular the idea is. Yet, despite these obstacles, we remain determined to do what is right for our beloved Jewel of the Wasatch, and we’re in this fight until it is won. But we cannot do it alone. Your donations are vital in supporting our efforts—not only to preserve the natural beauty around us, but to implement commonsense transportation solutions that serve all users, throughout all seasons. Please consider donating to Friends of Alta by clicking  HERE .

Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Jewel of the Wasatch Mountains

Friends of Alta is proud to announce the creation of our incredible new book, Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Jewel of the Wasatch Mountains. All proceeds support Friends of Alta and our lawsuit challenging the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) decision to install a Gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon. This book was created in partnership with our amazing project coordinator, author, and photographer extraordinaire, Howie Garber.  Garber tells the story of our relationship with these mountains — the high alpine backdrop and critical watershed for Salt Lake City that have drawn so many to call the Wasatch Front home. Combining imagery and writing from geologists to former mayors, from economists to ski guides, and from later-in-life transplants to multi-generation Utahns, Garber has curated a compendium of eloquent Wasatch voices that highlight the beauty and wildness of this place. This book is at once a call to action for locals and visitors alike, a history of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and a visual tour of this part of the central Wasatch, a stunning landscape that receives more annual visitors than all five of Utah’s National Parks combined. The resulting pages showcase the importance and fragility of this small canyon and why this “gem of the Wasatch” must be protected from over-development.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Peter Metcalf and Black Diamond for their incredible support in the creation and distribution of this important book and for all of their amazing work in conservation. If you want a gift for the holidays that will be treasured for generations to come while also supporting a great cause, this is the gift for you!

Looking Ahead

Little Cottonwood Canyon belongs to everyone who cherishes this land. It belongs to the families who have made memories in the snow and the hikers who have felt the spirit of these mountains. It is our collective love for nature that fuels our work and we are fortunate to have the best supporters in the world. We are grateful for each and every one of you! Have a wonderful holiday season and know that Friends of Alta will continue fighting to protect Alta!!!

For Alta,

Kody R. Fox

Executive Director

By: Tara Morin Operations Manager, Friends of Alta

We were able to host and participate in a variety of events this past summer. Thank you to everyone who participated, and we hope to see you again next year!

Alta Gala:

 The 2024 Alta Gala was another huge success! The Alta Gala is a collaborative fundraiser between Friends of Alta, Alta Community Enrichment, and Alta Historical Society. Unlike previous years, we decided to mix things up. We offered two parties with three ticket options. We sold out of the classic party within 18 minutes, which is a new record. Each organization raised $15,633 from the fundraiser.

Bill Levitt Fellowship:

The Bill Levitt Fellowship program is an annual opportunity for selected individuals to work with Friends of Alta for three months. The fellowship focuses on how Mayor Levitt’s standards of excellence, intelligence, and integrity in public process can combine with Friends of Alta’s conservation efforts to protect Alta’s environment and unique character. The fellow also assists the Forest Service Rangers one day a week to help educate the public about Albion Basin. This year's Fellow was Dylanger McKissen. Dylanger focused on a variety of interconnecting projects between FOA and other organizations. Dylanger’s recap is below. 

Wasatch Wildflower Festival:

Friends of Alta participated in the 2024 Wasatch Wildflower Festival hosted by Alta Environmental Center and Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. The event was a great opportunity to speak with the public about the work being done by Friends of Alta and the gondola. We raised a record amount of funds this year and look forward to next year!

 Alta Kids Day:

Friends of Alta participated in Alta Kids Day again this year. Our activity booth involved the use of cornhole and various elements that can be witnessed in Alta. This fun-filled educational event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the youth and families who recreate in Little Cottonwood Canyon. We were able to hand out a box of junior ranger books and even provided some children their junior ranger badges for completing their activity book that day.

Volunteer Invasive Weed Removal Day:

Friends of Alta co-hosted a volunteer day with Alta Environmental Center. We helped remove many trash bags full of pepper weed and other invasive weed plants in the area.

Memorial Tree Planting:

Each summer, Friends of Alta hosts a day of planting trees for people interested in planting a memorial tree in honor of a loved one. Trees planted in the grove are trees pulled from Alta that would normally be removed due to their location. We were fortunate enough to meet some wonderful families who purchased trees to memorialize their loved ones. We planted eight new trees in the Memorial Grove and replaced four existing trees that didn’t make it through the winter.

 FOA & SLCAS Star Party:

We hosted our third annual star party this year with the Salt Lake City Astronomical Society! Participants were able to go from telescope to telescope to view and learn about what each astronomer was studying. We got to see faraway stars, planets, and clusters of galaxies. We were joined by 40 participants at this year’s family-friendly event. Keep an eye out for the next star party next year!

Invasive Weed Volunteer Day:

Friends of Alta hosted a volunteer day with a group of amazing individuals to help remove some invasive weeds from one zone we help maintain with Alta Environmental Center. We were able to remove mullein, thistle, and curly doc from the area. In total we collected eight trash bags full of weeds from around Snowpine Lodge.

Mine Tour:

We hosted our second annual Mine and Water Treatment Tour with Salt Lake County Service District. Friends of Alta partnered up with Kasey Carpenter, General Manager of Salt Lake County Service Area 3, to do an educational mine tour/water treatment tour. After the tour, participants joined us for some wine and hors d’oeuvres at the Alta Lodge.

East Coast Fundraiser:

Thank you to Hickory and Tweed for hosting our 2024 East Coast Fundraiser! We were able to raise record amount of funds this year.

Alta Children’s Center Hike:

This year we partnered with Alta Children’s Center to provide an educational hike for their summer camp. As a group, we identified and discussed the variety of wildflowers found along the trail, spoke about why Little Cottonwood Canyon’s vital watershed needs protecting, and discussed the importance of responsible environmental stewardship.

Friends of Alta Speaker Series:

The Friends of Alta Speaker Series is educational lectures by experts in their chosen field. We hosted four educational talks in 2024.  The educational talks were Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth by Jim Steenburg, From Alta to Great Salt Lake The Secrets of the Greatest Snowmelt on Earth by Paul Books, Mountain Forests in a Changing Climate by Bill Anderegg, and finally Utah Air Quality and the Future of the Wasatch Front by John Lin.  We will be announcing our 2025 Speaker Series talks soon, so keep an eye out!

Howie Garber Book Launch:

Friends of Alta partnered with Howie Garber to launch his new book Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Jewel of the Wasatch. Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Jewel of the Wasatch is a beautiful coffee table book showcasing the beauty of Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon and to protect them from the proposed Gondola. All proceeds from the book go to help Friends of Alta’s fight against the gondola with our lawsuit. We hosted three successful book signing events and now have the book available to purchase online. More details on the book below. You can purchase the new book

By: Del Draper

Friends of Alta Board Chair

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has started an environmental study focused on evaluating enhanced bus service to address winter-time traffic in Big Cottonwood Canyon. What a stark contrast between UDOT’s proposal for Big Cottonwood and UDOT’s proposed gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon. In Big Cottonwood UDOT is considering enhanced bus service with buses running from a mobility hub near the canyon’s mouth every five to ten minutes during peak hours, enclosed bus stops at the resorts, minor road improvements to help the bus system, and a winter-season tolling system starting below Solitude Entry 1 with variable pricing. The road improvements are sufficiently minor that UDOT may do only an environmental assessment rather than a full EIS. The estimated expenditure to address the congestion issues in Big Cottonwood Canyon is about $90 million.

In Little Cottonwood Canyon the “enhanced bussing” option included massive changes to the existing road and an estimated cost of over $500 million. Some have cynically suggested that UDOT made the enhanced bussing alternative so expensive just to make the expensive gondola option seem more reasonable in comparison. If only UDOT had applied the same approach to Little Cottonwood Canyon. We would be much closer to a reasonable transportation solution and not fighting a battle against the extremely questionable gondola proposal.

Friends of Alta’s efforts to fight the gondola proposal are continuing. We filed the first lawsuit opposing UDOT’s plan, and that suit has been combined with lawsuits filed by Salt Lake City Public Utilities and Save our Canyons. The combined lawsuit is in the discovery phase with UDOT having recently turned over 200,000 pages of documents which they say formed the basis of their Record of Decision selecting the gondola option. Our attorneys have been busy reviewing this record and identifying where UDOT fell short in analyzing the alternatives and considering the environmental impact of the gondola option.

Friends of Alta also hired a lobbyist at the Utah Legislature. Our primary effort there has been to educate legislators about the flaws of the gondola proposal and to get the legislature to require that UDOT’s proposed three phases of improvements to address canyon congestion are conducted in order. In other words, first implement the less dramatic phase one proposals, and only after their implementation and study of the impacts to traffic brought about by phase one would UDOT then implement phase two. Let’s see what works in phase one and two before jumping to phase three – the world’s longest, and possibly least effective, gondola.

To highlight the incredible natural beauty of Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon, Friends of Alta has sponsored a 150-page coffee table book created by noted photographer Howie Garber. Mr. Garber has graciously agreed to take no compensation for the book and to allow 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of the book to go to Friends of Alta to fund our work to preserve and protect the area. There is more information on the book in this newsletter, and I urge you to buy a copy (or more than one copy), both because it is a wonderful book but also to support Friends of Alta.

I am honored to have been elected Chair of the Board of Friends of Alta at our meeting last July and will work diligently over the next few years to keep the organization strong.

Del Draper

Friends of Alta Board chair

By: Dylanger McKissen 2024 BLF

My time as Bill Levitt Fellow has been a very valuable experience for my growth and development as an environmental changemaker. Before I began in June, my relationship with the Wasatch Mountains was one directional as a consumer of natural resources and I wanted that to change, so after applying and becoming a part of FOA I have had the opportunity to help protect the local environment and become a part of the local environmental movement. Over the course of my fellowship I had several responsibilities and assisted with many interconnected projects, principally conducting land stewardship for the FOA and the Town of Alta, researching potential alternative transportation models for Canyon Guard, namely the Via Strategies and the Zion NP shuttle system, providing information at the Albion Basin trailhead with a CCF staff member, and supporting the FOA staff at various events. The land stewardship work and the Zion NP transportation research were my personal favorites because I loved hiking around Albion Basin and observing the wildlife while I removed weeds and visited conservation easements and because it felt like I was making a difference in the fight over the gondola.

I also furthered my involvement in the local environmental movement by joining the Central Wasatch Commission’s youth council and becoming a regular volunteer for Sageland Collaborative’s. These new roles and activities have given me a new outlet to continue my local environmental advocacy beyond my fellowship, and I wouldn’t have learned about them without this opportunity. As a young person who grew up in the context of our environment and climate changing rapidly since before I was born, I want my career to consist of work and actions that push against this trend and push for effective solutions. Being granted the 2024 Bill Levitt Fellowship at Friends of Alta was an amazing foundation to lay my career ambitions on and I will always be grateful for this opportunity. I have not only been able to give back to my community through this job, but this job has given back to me. I would like to thank Kody Fox and Tara Morin for hiring and working with me, the FOA board members for welcoming me and maintaining this fellowship program, the Town of Alta staff, as well as Alta Ski Area and Cottonwood Canyons Foundation.

Thank you

Dylanger McKissen

2024 Bill Levitt Fellow

By: Pat Shea Legal Counsel, Friends of Alta

In mid-October in the case of Friends of Alta, et.al. v. Utah Department of Transportation we received over 200,000 pages of documents which were labeled "Administrative Record". From my experience in government as a defendant as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, this volume is typical of a federal government's response to a lawsuit involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA.) The game is to flood the plaintiff with such volume they will be discouraged to pursue further action in the lawsuit.

However, FOA has a Board member Eva Chan who is incredibly organized and is a genius at organizing people. Through Eva's outstanding work, we have more than 14 students who have volunteered to dissect and organize the 200,000 pages. We also have had significant help from a new not-for-profit organization Canyon Guard which was founded by Craig Heimark who lives in Grizzly Gulch.

We have until December 20 to file our response as to what we believe is missing in the administrative records. For instance, as with many governmental projects, private consultants are used to do the scientific and technical work. In many instances we have a one-way email to the outside consultant, but we don't have their response. We will be seeking this type of information with what we submit on December 20.

I can't stress enough how important your continuing support to FOA and the litigation is. Without you we would be up a flooding creek without a paddle.

Thank you and may the holiday season for 2024 be filled only with pleasant surprises. And may you have good health and only pleasant surprises in 2025

Pat Shea

Friends of Alta Legal Counsel

By: Zac Bramble

The Lockhart Group

Most people at this point are well into their holiday countdowns, but in my house, we count down until the session starts. If anyone would like to join in on the fun, it is 56 days until the session starts!

This interim was a very successful one for Friends of Alta. We were able to have the interim transportation committee hold a public hearing on the current gondola status and give lawmakers a refresher on what the gondola plan is. We had a few individuals who went to the capitol to testify on this issue. Reviewing the plan and listening to us in the committee has led to many offline discussions that will bring about some great legislation this year.

One of the important bills this session will be our Safe Winter Driving bill. Utah is home to the greatest snow on earth, which results in rapidly changing road conditions and some of the most dangerous driving conditions. To increase road safety and improve traffic conditions, we are introducing legislation to implement traction requirements in the most dangerous and traffic-congested areas seasonally instead of just on bad weather days. Far too often, people travel on these roads or go up these canyons in the state in the morning when conditions are good. As the day goes on, the conditions get worse, and they are stuck up the canyon in bad weather. Instead of waiting for conditions to get better, they drive and cause accidents, causing traffic and major delays for everyone. Changing the traction law in some of the canyons will allow for better enforcement, a decrease in traffic, and short-term solutions to happen while we continue to fight the gondola.

Besides our offensive plan, we also have a defensive plan regarding the session this year. It is impossible to build the gondola without money. During the legislative session, the state will pass about a $29 billion budget. Our job is to try and stop new funding mechanisms from going in place that could fund the gondola faster. There are many infrastructure needs around the state, and we want to put the focus on funding those instead.

This interim, we were able to grow new relationships that will help us accomplish our goals. With these relationships, we will have a more successful session getting our legislation passed. A lot can happen in 45 days, which is why we have been working tirelessly during the interim so we can “harvest” all of our hard work.

Zac Bramble

The Lockhart Group

Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Jewel of the Wasatch Mountains, photographer Howie Garber points his lens at a unique and stunning place in northern Utah threatened by catastrophic development. The project contains imagery that Garber has shot over the past 30 years alongside images from nine other photographers, creating a compelling visual statement for saving this special place. His previous book, Utah’s Wasatch Range: Four Season Refuge, published in 2012, was celebrated for capturing the spirit of this mountain range and demonstrating the need for further land conservation. Now, Garber once again tells the story of our relationship with these mountains — the high alpine backdrop and critical watershed for Salt Lake City that have drawn so many to call the Wasatch Front home.

Garber’s previous book may be considered his love letter to the Wasatch, and in this latest project, he focuses on its crown jewel, Little Cottonwood Canyon. The canyon cuts through the heart of the central Wasatch and two of the three Wilderness areas in the range, havens for healthy forests and large wildlife populations. Its rugged peaks rise 7,000 feet above the Salt Lake Valley and provide diverse recreation opportunities for hiking, climbing, mountain biking, and both backcountry and resort skiing. Unique weather patterns drop over 500 inches of snow annually, contributing to Utah’s license plates claiming “The Greatest Snow on Earth.” However, due to rapid population growth and the increased popularity of outdoor sports, some fear this special place is being loved to death.

This major influx in visitation has created severe traffic and transportation challenges that sparked over a decade worth of work to identify potential solutions. In 2023, the Utah Department of Transportation shocked elected officials, citizens, and conservation groups by proposing the longest gondola in the world, an 8-mile-long behemoth through Little Cottonwood Canyon. Through over 50,000 comments during the public input stage, locals made known their concerns over the gondola’s efficacy as a transportation solution as well as its high cost and extreme environmental and visual impacts. The solution also only serves the canyon’s two ski resorts, putting special interests over the need for year round transit for all users. The ensuing battle over the future of Little Cottonwood Canyon was the catalyst for this book project.

Combining imagery and writing from geologists to former mayors, from economists to ski guides, and from later-in-life transplants to multi-generation Utahns, Garber has curated a compendium of eloquent Wasatch voices that highlight the beauty and wildness of this place. This book is at once a call to action for locals and visitors alike, a history of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and a visual tour of this part of the central Wasatch, a stunning landscape that receives more annual visitors than all five of Utah’s National Parks combined. The resulting pages showcase the importance and fragility of this small canyon and why this “gem of the Wasatch” must be protected from over-development.

Book proceeds benefit Friends of Alta's lawsuit challenging the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) decision to install a Gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Contributing Writers: Howie Garber, project coordinator; Laura Briefer, MPA, Director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities; William T. Parry, Professor Emeritus at the University of Utah Department of Geology and Geophysics; Allison Jones, Conservation Biologist and Consultant; Grace Tyler, Development Director: Save Our Canyons; Alex Schmidt, public lands activist; Cassie Levitt Dippo, Friends of Alta: President Emerita; Bruce Tremper, retired director of Utah Avalanche Center, author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain; Brad Barber, former Economic Adviser to three Utah Governors and Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget; Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City, 2008–2015; Ayja Bounous, author of Shaped by Snow and Junior Bounous and the Joys of Skiing; and Erme Catino, journalist, educator, and guide.

Contributing Photographers: Howie Garber, Robert Athey, (Wizard of the Wasatch) , Louis Arevalo, Wray Sinclair, Mary McIntyre, Bruce Tremper, Stephen Trimble, Bryant Olsen, James Zebrack, Wray Sinclair, and Mimi Levitt

Howie Garber is a professional fine arts and nature photographer. He has lived in Salt Lake City since 1972. Howie’s interest in photography started in 1969 when he took a “History of Photography” class while at the University of Rochester. He remained an amateur for many years. At age 39, he traveled to Nepal, his first trip outside North America, and shot 40 rolls of film while trekking for a month. This convinced him to spend more time with his cameras.

Howie’s images have been widely published as book and magazine covers; and in calendars, and greeting cards. Some of his clients have included Newsweek, National Geographic, Patagonia, Anheuser Busch, the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, Greenpeace, and ColdWater Creek. In 1997, he received a prestigious award from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Howie won the Wild Places (Landscape) category of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. That same year, his photo of two mountain goats won the Endangered Places photo contest sponsored by Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Mamiya and Lowepro. During the summer of 2000, his work was featured in Nikon World. His work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum and the Museum of Natural History in London. In 2004, his image of a caiman won the Animals in their Environment Category of the BBC contest.

Jamie has been on Friends of Alta board since 2022 and was voted to be Friends of Alta's board Vice President in 2024! Welcome Jamie and we are excited to have you!

Jamie was born in Syracuse, NY but grew up mostly in Hawaii. His father is from NY and mother is native Hawaiian.

Jamie first came to Alta in 2005 after spending six years living in Lake Placid, NY. He grew up loving the outdoors with much of his youth spent in the Hawaiian surf but truly grew to love the mountains in his time in Lake Placid. Jamie originally came to Alta to spend a single winter but it only took one massive winter storm to realize this was somewhere that he wanted to spend a good portion of his life.

The following summer just made him fall in love with Alta and the mountains of Utah more. In the 17 years and counting since, his love for the Utah outdoors has not wavered. He looks forward to working with Friends of Alta to help preserve this mountain treasure that we are fortunate enough to share our lives in.

Friend’s of Alta is looking for new board members to join our organization. Do you have a passion to protect Alta for future generations? Do you want to be actively involved in building Friends of Alta's future? If yes, you should join our organization! For a full job description see the listing at www.friendsofalta.org/jobopenings .

Contributions1 $183,379 Contributions to Bill Levitt Fellowship $6,000 Business Sponsors $14,599 Merchandise $7,639 Investment Income $43,773 Grants $15,000 Special Events2 $15,663 Total Revenue $282,901 Operations³ $134,863 Environmental Education, Studies & Sustainability4 $4,270 Land Conservation5 $4,120 Revenue Generating Programs⁶ $9,210 Conservation Fund Management Fees $0 Total Expenses $293,312 Conservation Fund Market Value on 6/30/2024 $1,395,948

1. Individual Contributions, Love Utah Give Utah, Memorial Tree Program 2. Alta Gala & East Coast Fundraiser 3. Employee Salary, Employee Benefits, Office Rent, Office Supplies 4. Alta Summer Booth Grant, Alta Summer Host Program, Summer Stewardship Programs, Wetland Study, Alta Bird Study, GIS Mapping 5. Conservation Easement Monitoring, Insurance, GIS Mapping, Conservation Resources & Planning, Land Trust Alliance 6. Event Expenses, Marketing, Merchandise Purchase

“I tell people who come here: ‘You’re an Alta person now. When the world gets to be too much and you feel like you have to flee, you just come to the bottom of the canyon. We’ll have your name on a list, we’ll close the gates, we’ll point the avalanche guns down the canyon. The bad guys won’t come up after you." -Bill Levitt

As Bill Levitt said in his quote above, Alta is a special place - a place to make home or just to escape the stress of everyday life.

Thank you for your help in protecting the environment, preserving the unique character and heritage, and encouraging stewardship and sustainability in the area.

Donations are always welcome to help Friends of Alta continue to protect the area we all love and stop those who want to develop our beautiful home.

Ask your employer if they have a matching gift program and make your contributions to FOA go twice as far! We have a variety of FOA merchandise ready for the holiday season that would make perfect gifts. Check out our 2025 calendar, Howie Garber book, Alta Ski Resort Trail Map Blanket and more!

Fiscal Year July 2023 through June 2024 We deeply appreciate the support of all our contributors. It is our policy to only list people who have provided permission. Please accept our sincere apology for any errors or omissions. To be added to this list or make corrections email info@friendsofalta.org.

Our new Membership Program offers a convenient way to support Friends of Alta in our efforts to protect and preserve Alta’s unique environment, heritage, and character. We are driven by conservation values that bind our ever-growing Friends of Alta family. Your membership contributions generate reliable income to fund our important conservation and educational programs. This allows our team to focus more on our work and less on fundraising. In addition to supporting our programs, our membership tiers also include perks such as access to member events, a Friends of Alta calendar, a member refrigerator magnet, priority enrollment for specific FOA events, and discounts on FOA merchandise.

For more ways to support Friends of Alta, donations and sponsors for the past fiscal year, and more, check out the original PDF version!