Utah Ski Resort Owner Launches Nonprofit After Devastating Wildfire
After the Cottonwood Fire torched parts of the ski area he owns, Eagle Point, Utah, Shane Gadbaw has announced the launch of BeaverTUF, a nonprofit focused on recovery in the Beaver area and, over time, youth programs.
“In the months ahead, BeaverTUF will help address recovery and restoration needs that may not be covered by insurance, FEMA, or other assistance programs,” a social media post from Eagle Point reads.
The nonprofit website adds planned BeaverTUF projects, including immediate post-fire stabilization through emergency soil barriers, ecosystem renewal, and “Ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and adaptive management to ensure the landscape heals stronger than before.”
The T and U in BeaverTUF stand for Tushar—the mountain range Eagle Point calls home—and “unity.”
Gadbaw is listed as a board member alongside Eric Quilter and Cory Norman.
Quilter, according to the website, previously worked at Alta Ski Area’s ski school before launching a software company in Park City. He owns property near Eagle Point.
“Eric is a dedicated advocate for mountain conservation and public access, volunteering with the Utah Avalanche Center and serving as president of its board,” the blurb reads.
Norman worked for the Forest Service, retiring in 2025. During a nearly four decade career, he worked in natural resource management and wildland fire, starting as a wildland firefighter in 1988.
“One of his most notable accomplishments was helping lead the Beaver Canyon Shared Stewardship initiative, which united federal and state agencies, local leaders, and private landowners around a shared vision for landscape management and forest resilience,” BeaverTUF noted.
The Cottonwood Fire hit Eagle Point last month. On June 29, Gadbaw and the ski resort detailed what, at the time, was the known extent of the damage.
The fire impacted about 300 of its 600 acres on the south side of the mountain, mostly in the Tushar Ridge area. Canyonside Lodge, one of the two day lodges, along with more than 100 condos and 30 cabins, was lost. Four out of Eagle Point’s five chairlifts were damaged.
Other losses included five snowmobiles, three vehicles, three storage containers containing tools, and the warming station on Tushar Ridge.
Some parts of the ski area weren’t touched by the fire. The main lodge, Skyline, remains intact. So does the Monarch Lift and its surrounding terrain, a snowmaking pond, cell towers, and the Skyline terrain. The Aspen Crest subdivision is also mostly intact.
Eagle Point hasn’t yet shared a timeline for its recovery, or how long it’ll be before it reopens for skiing and snowboarding.
Gadbaw plans to stick around through the difficult chapter, though, noting that he’s “here for the long haul,” according to Deseret News. “This is my life’s work.”
“The fire forever damaged parts of this mountain, but the spirit of the community is untouched, and it’s with that spirit that we will rebuild the resort and the community.”
To learn more about BeaverTUF, click here.
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