The Bureau of Land Management is opening more than 66,000 acres of land south of Haines to heli-skiing, an area that has been closed to the activity since 2009.
BLM recently issued permits to Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, Alaska Heliskiing and Alaska Mountain Guides to use 66,200 acres of land in the “south block” of BLM-managed lands in the Haines area.
The south block runs through the Takhinsha Mountains above the Takhin River. It also encompasses a small portion of the Chilkat Range near the Davidson Glacier.
The permits are good for 100 landings each, and have an option to renew next year, according to BLM field manager Dennis Teitzel.
Teitzel said the agency is taking a “conservative approach” to reintroducing heli-skiing to the area, and will manage and monitor the activity closely.
“We’re taking this very cautiously. We’re not jumping onto it full bore,” Teitzel said. “As we get further into this (and) we see where the issues may lie, we can deal with those. And areas that we see where we can authorize more (use), we will do so.”
According to BLM public affairs specialist Marnie Graham, the agency hasn’t authorized any winter heli-skiing activities since 2009.
The permits have been tied up in the agency’s Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan, a land management document that has been years in the making. The agency released a draft document with four “alternatives” in December 2012, but in March 2013 delayed the process further by identifying a fifth alternative that included an Area of Critical Environmental Concern for mountain goats.
Previous BLM field managers decided to hold off on issuing heli-skiing permits until the document was finalized, though its progress continues to lag.
Former BLM field manager Alan Bittner said in March 2014 that the document would be delayed at least another two years. At last week’s assembly meeting, Teitzel told the assembly the document wouldn’t be complete for another two to three years.
“That’s just the process,” Teitzel said. “As soon as we get a couple more people assigned to the office and hired, we will start off and get this process moving forward.”
Assembly member George Campbell seemed taken aback at the additional delay. “It seems to me the Ring of Fire has been going on for four years, five years that I can think of. Are you trying to challenge the Department of Transportation for how long something can take to get going?” Campbell asked.
Heli-ski operators and Haines Borough officials have become frustrated with the process, as it ties up valuable heli-skiing terrain. According to planning and zoning technician Tracy Cui, of the roughly 234,000 acres of approved heli-ski operating area on the borough map, 42 percent of it – 98,300 acres – is BLM land.
The BLM’s earlier decision to withhold permits for heli-skiing on the land is not a rule as much as an informal policy decision. When former Mayor Stephanie Scott found out the decision rested with the field manager, she asked that permits be issued. When that didn’t happen, the assembly voted unanimously to send a letter to the field manager and borough’s former Washington, D.C. lobbyist calling for the permits to be processed and issued.
Alaska Mountain Guides owner Sean Gaffney said the borough’s continued reinforcements helped get the permits issued.
“It did have positive outcome and impact, and it’s a great example of where the borough and businesses in town can work together for common goals,” Gaffney said.
Though this year’s permit is only for 100 landings, Gaffney said he is grateful for the opening of the valuable terrain, which will offer longer circuits to skiers.
“We would love to have more (landings), but it is definitely a good starting point and I know that all of the operators are extremely appreciative to have them and excited for them,” Gaffney said.
Teitzel said he decided to issue permits with a limited number of landings for the south block because the primary area of contention is in the north block. “We looked at it and determined we could do it in the south block,” he said.
Permit conditions include maintaining a 1,500-meter buffer from groups of goats, based on a study completed by the Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council. Operators must also have GPS flight tracking and keep information available for three years. BLM also will conduct GPS spot checks to ensure companies are staying in-bounds, Teitzel said.
Haines heli-ski company Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures last year was sentenced to more than $20,000 in fines and four years’ probation for repeatedly and intentionally trespassing on BLM property.
When asked why BLM issued the permit in light of SEABA‘s recent infractions, Teitzel responded, “They made appropriate restitution as required by the court case.”
Teitzel said according to information BLM has, opening the south block for limited landings won’t be detrimental to goat habitat. The agency is currently awaiting a four-year Fish and Game study of goat habitat and populations, which will help guide permitting decisions in future years, he said.
Alaska Heliskiing co-owner Ryan Johnson said he is excited to explore the new area with clients and other guides. “It’s not a whole bunch of landings, but we are able to get back into that terrain,” Johnson said. “It’s huge because we’ve been gradually losing area for a lot of years, so it is nice to have some new terrain back.”
Johnson flew over the south block in January, noting its stunning beauty and suitability for filmmaking.
Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures co-owner Scott Sundberg did not respond to calls for comment.