Ski Conservation Fund Awards $850,000 for Summit and Eagle County Trails

The National Forest Foundation is handing out $850,000 to fix trails, clear trees, and fund youth programs in Summit and Eagle counties. The money comes from a simple mechanism: skiers and snowboarders voluntarily donating $1 to $10 when they buy lift tickets or rent gear.

It’s a direct pipeline from the base lodge to the forest floor.

The fund, known as the Ski Conservation Fund, operates on a straightforward matching principle. For every dollar a guest contributes, the nonprofit adds 50 cents. That 50-cent boost helps local stewardship groups tackle specific projects in the White River National Forest. This year, the pot includes a $700,000 donation from Vail Resorts, which anchors the total award.

The question is whether locals notice the difference when the money hits the ground. The answer lies in the specific line items.

In Summit County, the money is going to the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District for youth and educational programming. It’s also funding the Summit County Mountain Bike Alliance to reconstruct the Soda Creek Trail near Keystone. The Wildlands Restoration Volunteers are using the funds to clear up to 500 downed trees in the Eagles Nest Wilderness. Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountain Youth Corp is working on projects at Meadow Creek and Straight Creek. The U.S. Forest Service is using its share to create bilingual signage and cover staffing costs at the Dillon Ranger District.

Eagle County isn’t left out. The Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance is getting support for trail maintenance and education. The Eagle-Summit Wilderness Alliance is sending volunteers on llama-supported trips to repair a bridge and restore campsites in the Holy Cross Wilderness Areas. In Miniturn, the Cross Creek trailhead is getting an expansion. Near Gypsum Creek and Cottonwood Pass, crews are spraying invasive weeds. The Tigiwon Community House is being renovated, and the Gore Range Gravity Alliance is hosting an educational event.

The participating resorts are clear about who is paying. Vail Mountain, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort, Beaver Creek Resort, Copper Mountain, and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area are all part of the mix. So are the lodging and rental operations: Beaver Run Resort & Spa, Breckenridge Grand Vacations, and Fun For You Rentals. Guests can add their donation when purchasing tickets, season passes, rental equipment, lodging, or activity reservations.

The structure ensures that the money stays local. The National Forest Foundation collects the voluntary contributions, adds the match, and distributes the funds to specific projects. There’s no guessing where the $1 goes. It goes to the trailhead in Miniturn. It goes to the bridge in the Holy Cross Wilderness. It goes to the educational initiatives in Dillon.

The timing matters, too. The projects are happening now, during the active season. Trail maintenance and invasive weed spraying don’t wait for next year’s budget cycle. The funds are available to support these efforts immediately.

The numbers back up the scale of the investment. $850,000 is a significant sum for volunteer-driven conservation. It covers more than just trail clearing. It covers education, signage, and infrastructure repair. It covers the cost of llamas, too.

The fund is not a tax. It’s a voluntary contribution. Skiers choose to donate. The resorts facilitate the transaction. The nonprofit manages the distribution. The local groups execute the work.

It’s a closed loop. Money leaves the skier’s pocket, passes through the resort’s point-of-sale system, gets matched by the foundation, and lands in the hands of the groups fixing the trails locals use.

The projects are diverse. Some are about access, like the trailhead expansion in Miniturn. Some are about preservation, like the invasive weed spraying near Gypsum Creek. Some are about people, like the youth programs in Dillon. All of them are about the White River National Forest.

The fund is active again this year. The money is awarded. The work is starting. The donors are the skiers. The beneficiaries are the forests and the people who manage them.

The next time you buy a lift ticket at Beaver Creek or Breckenridge, you might see a small box to check. That’s the entry fee for the $850,000 pot. It’s $1 to $10. It’s voluntary. It’s matched. It’s going to the trails in your backyard.