Cheers to the 50 volunteers, Alta Resort employees, members of the Alta Environmental Center and community partners who pitched in over the weekend to plant 800 Engelmann spruce seedlings on the slopes of Alta in Albion Basin.
“As part of Alta’s ongoing commitment to land conservation and stewardship, our annual Tree Planting Day invites the community to care for this special place while maintaining the health of the forest for years to come.”
Each year, the Alta Environmental Center works with the U.S. Forest Service to plant native trees across the mountain. The seedlings are generated from cones collected at Alta which are sent to a Forest Service grower in Idaho, where they spend a year strengthening their roots. Come fall, the young trees make their return to Alta to be planted with the help of our community with the goal of increasing the age diversity of the tree species at Alta and aid in regeneration.
Roots of Reforestation: Reforesting Alta, one tree at a time
The earliest documented reforestation efforts in Alta date back to 1933, led by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
After decades of mining starting in the mid-1800s, Little Cottonwood Canyon was left completely devoid of trees, making Alta a dangerous area prone to deadly avalanches, landslides, diseases and polluted water. During the Great Depression, Utah aimed to expand its outdoor recreation industry while providing more jobs and revenue to the community. Alf Engen was tasked with scouting the next prime location for Utah’s newest ski area. Upon discovering Alta, he realized it had great potential, but it needed one crucial element—trees.
This marked the beginning of reforestation efforts, as the CCC spent the next seven years planting trees in Little Cottonwood Canyon to make Alta a safer place for recreation. Since then, tree planting has taken place almost every year at Alta Ski Area, with over 42,924 trees planted since 1991.
