Two local heli-ski companies are asking the Haines Borough to temporarily open nearly 10,000 acres of terrain closed to the sport for a month-long special event. The “Make it Live!” photography competition proposed by Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures and Alaska Heliskiing would be open to all heli-ski clients in Haines between March 21 and April 21. SEABA co-owner […]
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Assembly to revisit heliport issue
The Haines Borough Assembly agreed last week to hear an appeal of a Feb. 13 planning commission decision denying a conditional use permit for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat Lake Road. The assembly will hear the appeal by Scott Sundberg Tuesday, co-owner of Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures. SEABA has sought a heliport at the site since 2008. The idea was most […]
Posted inNews
Warm weather worries heli-skiers
Unseasonably warm weather has local heli-ski operators and backcountry skiers biting their nails about snow conditions and the future of the skiing season. Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures co-owner Scott Sundberg said this week if he had clients booked for this week, the company would be unable to provide their service. “No one would pay to […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Spot checks on heli-skiers not enough
Fifty-four days with illegal trespass violations during 78 days of operation in 2012 and 2013 are adequate proof that the local heli-ski industry needs to be more closely monitored. Spot checks by the Haines Borough are obviously inadequate to reveal if heli-ski companies are operating in permitted areas on a daily basis. An inexpensive computer program can […]
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Mayor pushes monitoring, tougher fines on heli-skiing
Haines Borough Mayor Stephanie Scott is proposing the borough ramp up its monitoring of heli-ski tour companies and stiffen fines. Scott will ask the assembly Tuesday to change the borough’s GPS data collection policies and adopt a graduated fine schedule for violations. Under the change, each operator would be subject to a minimum of 10 GPS spot checks […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Total of heli-ski violations is unknown
The CVN headline May 2 implied there were only six heli-skiing violations in 2013. The actual number of violations is unknown because the borough manager only required GPS spot checks on two days per business. Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) was in violation of its permit on one of those two days, as well as […]
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BLM weighs penalty for heli-ski tour
A representative for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said the agency’s law enforcement sector is investigating whether to take punitive action against a local heli-ski company that operated on BLM land without a permit. Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) was operating on BLM land during a March 3 heli-ski accident that killed one person […]
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Borough: 6 heli-ski violations in season
The Haines Borough recently leveled a combined $1,200 in fines against two heli-skiing companies for six permit violations in March and April. The borough fined Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) $400 for two out-of-bounds landings on March 19. It also fined Alaska Heliskiing $800 for three out-of-bounds landings and one incident of deviating from a flight […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Sorry for helicopter intrusion at lodge
I want to apologize to Mosquito Lake residents who were surprised and upset about a helicopter landing at the Funny Farm on Monday. First, we appreciate your support in the last decade of the heli-ski industry here in Haines. Secondly, Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures and Last Frontier Air Ventures do not condone any helicopter activities […]
Posted inNews
Helicopter landing pits lodge against neighbors
An unexpected helicopter landing at a Mosquito Lake lodge prompted confusion and irritation among area residents Monday. A Last Frontier Air Ventures helicopter landed at a lodge owned by Bruce Bauer around 6 p.m. Monday. The helicopter had been in Haines operating under contract with heli-ski company Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA), but was no […]