Utah Ski Resort Receives "Prestigious Honor" for Sustainability Projects

Alta Ski Area, Utah, has been named this year’s overall winner of the National Ski Area Association’s Golden Eagle Awards, which honors resorts for their sustainability programs and works to highlight the importance of climate change action.

The NSAA recognized the resort for its revegetation projects, tree planting efforts, and invasive plant species removal—all initiatives meant to rehabilitate the mountain’s environment, which had been degraded by mining in the past.

Over the years, the resort said in a news release, the Alta Environmental Center has planted more than 42,000 trees and around 121,000 native plants. Other highlights include invasive weed mitigation and the restoration of about 11,000 square feet of wetlands, according to Alta.

“The Golden Eagle Award reflects years of thoughtful work, collaboration and care from people throughout Alta who deeply value the mountain environment we depend on,” said Jen Melton, the AEC’s director, in the release.

“This recognition belongs to the employees, managers and leaders who continue to prioritize stewardship in both large and small ways throughout our operations and who have helped build a culture where protecting the environment is part of who we are,” she added.

Alta also thanked several groups for their partnership, including the Forest Service, TreeUtah, the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, and many others.

The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.

Alta and the AEC were previously awarded the Golden Eagle Award in 2022 and 2013.

The AEC was established in 2008 with the goal of guiding Alta’s sustainability projects and caring for the mountain. The organization also works with local non-profits to host educational events in the summer and winter. Later this year, in September, the AEC plans to host a tree planting day alongside the Forest Service, where volunteers can help spread Engelmann spruce saplings across Alta’s slopes.

The runner-ups for this year’s overall Golden Eagle Award were Arapahoe Basin and Vail Resorts, Colorado. 

Since 1993, the honors have aimed to benefit “the entire industry by raising overall environmental excellence standards and promoting the latest best practices in sustainability,” according to the NSAA.

Related: The Floral Print Phenomenon: How Skida Traveled From Vermont to Everywhere