Strategic Plan

This Strategic Plan is intended to provide a foundation for Friends of Alta (FOA) to achieve its short and long term goals. It provides guidance for operations and decision making. This plan is not intended to give detailed operational instructions to the organization.

1.0  Mission Statement and Purpose

The Mission of Friends of Alta is to protect the environment of Alta, including watershed and wildlife habitat areas; to preserve Alta's unique character and heritage; and to encourage stewardship and sustainability of Alta's environment and community.

Friends of Alta facilitates acquisition and conservation of undeveloped privately owned lands in Alta that exhibit watershed and environmental values. We support the protective policies of the Town of Alta, the watershed management policies of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, and the State of Utah, and the U.S. Forest Service's policies and their stewardship of the area's public lands. In order to encourage stewardship among the general public, we support environmental studies and other research in an effort to educate people about the area's fragile and unique environment, as well as the value and contribution of Alta's natural resources to local and regional economies. FOA provides support to others involved in enhancing the life and culture of the Alta community, including the provision of arts, historical and recreation programs to the public.

2.0  Historical Context

In 1979, a large time-share company acquired land in the area along the Alta By-Pass Road between Alta and Snowbird with the intention to build 400 time-share units. This project had tentative approval from Salt Lake County. The Town of Alta (the Town), as the closest municipality with the obligation to provide services (fire, police, sewer, water and communications) to that area, claimed jurisdiction over the area, requiring that the project be subject to the Town's more restrictive zoning ordinances. The time-share company sued the Town and told Mayor Levitt that it would keep the Town in court until it went bankrupt. The Town lost the first round in court.

Subsequently, the Town engaged a Salt Lake City law firm and appealed the lower court decision to the Utah Supreme Court. The Town won by unanimous decision. The time-share company twice appealed that decision to the Utah Supreme Court, losing each time.

When some ski season visitors heard about the situation they suggested a defense fund be created to help the Town pay for the cost of litigation. This informal defense fund formed the basis of the Alta Defense Fund which was incorporated in 1981 and in 1983 received Federal 501(c) (3) tax exempt status.

By the mid 1980's, in addition to supporting the Town of Alta's zoning ordinances and helping the Town through litigation challenging its protective policies, the Alta Defense Fund began purchasing parcels of land in the Albion Basin from willing sellers for preservation purposes. Undeveloped Albion Basin land was considered by Federal, State, and local agencies as important watershed and habitat worthy of significant protective measures. The Federal Mitigation Commission specifically named Albion Basin as being a priority for watershed protection and preservation.

The Alta Defense Fund began supporting important community organizations such as the Alta Interim School, the Avalanche Forecast Center and the Alta Historical Society. The group also contributed funding to the Town so that it could create a General Plan. In a joint effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Salt Lake County, the group also funded the Albion Basin Wetlands Study.

Because of the new directions, the Board concluded that the name Alta Defense Fund was too limiting and no longer represented the organization's shift to more community-oriented goals. The Alta Defense Fund name was then changed to Friends of Alta to better reflect its evolving mission.

Friends of Alta is governed by a Board of Directors and has a large group of Advisors available to provide additional expertise when needed. Mimi Levitt has been president of FOA since its incorporation, and many of the Directors have been in place for at least a decade. Attorney Pat Shea has been closely involved with FOA since its formation, providing legal and political advice. Former long-time Mayor Bill Levitt has been one of the group's most active advisors.

FOA is not a member-based organization. Funds have been contributed to FOA from individual and foundation donors. Annual income and expense reports have been filed with the IRS which has found FOA in compliance with its tax exempt status.

In summary, Friends of Alta was founded by a group of concerned people in the early 1980's with the purpose of providing financial support to the Town of Alta in litigation challenging the Town's protective zoning ordinances. It quickly evolved into an organization concerned not only with land and environmental protection in Alta, but also with supporting important community functions. FOA has a history of working with the Alta community as well as with Federal, State, and local agencies, reflecting public and governmental support for its work. Directors and Advisors of FOA have largely remained stable since FOA was incorporated.

3.0  Current Context

The current operations of Friends of Alta maintain the historical priorities of supporting the Town in legal challenges to its protective policies, environmental protection and community support. FOA's focus has evolved further to embrace environmental research and education, and to provide financial support to key community non-profit organizations. This evolution reflects FOA's commitment to long-term stewardship of Alta.

Financial support to the Town has been expanded to include its educational Summer Booth Program and its geographic information system department. These Town programs benefit the public's environmental education and safety. Support to the greater Salt Lake Valley and State community has been added through organizing and funding teacher workshops in Alta and student field trips to the Albion Basin. Since FOA's early involvement in the Wetlands Study, it is conducting other studies of the natural environment of Alta. Also expanded are environmental protection priorities including conservation easement management.

FOA appointed an executive director to oversee operations and created a staff position to handle activities associated with programs and fundraising. FOA's Board of Directors makes policies and provides leadership and support for FOA's operations. It has formed committees to make policy recommendations to the board. The Advisory Board continues to be available to FOA's Board of Directors and staff on an as-needed basis.

4.0  Constituent and Beneficiary Relationships

Friends of Alta is not a membership organization. However, FOA is accountable to its contributors who are a primary constituent of the organization. FOA has a long list of beneficiaries of the work it does; some of whom may not realize that they are benefiting from FOA's efforts.

Contributors: Contributors provide the funds ensuring that the FOA mission of environmental and watershed protection is carried out. Donors are a primary constituency.

Town of Alta: The Town of Alta gains direct benefit from FOA in the form of funding for professional services and some of its programs.

Salt Lake City: As the manager of the Little Cottonwood Canyon watershed and owner of water in the watershed, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities gains benefit from FOA's land protection activities, its support of the Town's protective zoning policies and FOA's environmental education activities. FOA also manages conservation easements on parcels of land in the Albion Basin that are owned by Salt Lake City.

US Forest Service: As the manager of Federal owned land comprising most of the land area of Alta, the US Forest Service benefits from FOA's land protection, environmental studies and environmental education activities.

Other Government: Other Federal, State, and local governments benefit from FOA's activities. The Bureau of Land Management, the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Salt Lake County each derives benefit from FOA's land/habitat protection, watershed education and protection.

General Public (present and future): The general public benefits from FOA's activities in several ways. The residents of Alta and the Salt Lake Valley benefit from FOA's efforts to protect land in the watershed ensuring long term quality and quantity of culinary water supply. The public benefits from FOA efforts to maintain open space. Homeowners in Alta benefit from land protection activities which help ensure maintenance of the overall character of Alta. Visitors to Alta benefit from efforts to protect open space since many come to Alta to enjoy its recreational assets.

Alta Businesses: Businesses (including Alta Lift Company, lodges, restaurants, retailers and others) in the Alta community exist because visitors and homeowners are in Alta to enjoy the areas natural resources. They benefit from FOA's land protection activities and environmental stewardship because these activities protect the resource that is the economic basis for the community.

Other Not-for-profit Organizations: FOA makes annual financial contributions to organizations such as the Utah Avalanche Center, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, Alta Community Enrichment, the Alta Historical Society and Alta schools, thus helping them provide their benefits to the public.

7.0  Goals - 5 Years