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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SEABA agrees to pay $21K to BLM
A Haines helicopter skiing company has agreed to pay more than $21,000 in fines and fees for flying on federal lands closed to the activity 54 times during 78 days of operation during the past two years. Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures signed a plea agreement containing the allegations, which was filed recently in federal district […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Voices marginalized by heli-ski map
I find it unfortunate that in the last issue of the CVN other key stakeholder groups concerned about the heliski map are referred to as “opponents of the industry” and their concerns characterized as “obstacles.” In some ways the process that the borough pursued in updating the heli-ski map lent itself to prolonging community divisiveness surrounding the […]
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Committee chosen to oversee heli-ski map boundaries
Sixteen residents and two heli-ski companies have submitted proposals to the Haines Borough regarding alterations to the heli-skiing map. Residents who submitted proposals were entered into a drawing to determine which resident would represent the public on a five-member map committee. The committee will meet at noon for the next three Fridays to discuss the […]
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SEABA fined for landing at fatal accident site
The Haines Borough fined Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) $500 last week for operating on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property without a permit during the March 3 heli-skiing accident that killed a guide and injured two others. Manager Mark Earnest, who can fine heli-skiing companies up to $1,000 per violation, said he decided on $500 because the company […]
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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 […]
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Heli-skiing legal fees: $3,500
The Haines Borough attorney billed the borough more than $3,500 in January for issues related to heli-skiing, chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart said this week. Brooks Chandler billed the borough for 17 hours of work – $3,570 – under the “heli-skiing” category on his January invoice. The borough renewed commercial tour permits in January for three local […]
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Students make grade in avalanche class
Fourteen eighth-graders will receive “Avalanche 1” certification, following a program offered at Haines School. The students received 20 hours of classroom instruction and spent eight hours in the field, said physical education teacher Lexie DeWitt. Field training included using locator beacons, assessing snow stability and digging test pits to check ski conditions, she said. “They […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Guides made avalanche class a reality
Thanks for the generosity of Sean Gaffney and Zach Tarleton of Alaska Mountain Guides/International Wilderness Leadership School. Eighth-grade students have completed a 24-hour Avalanche Level 1 course with their guidance. Students learned to recognize the terrain features, weather patterns and snow conditions that lead to avalanches, and how to make the safest possible decisions when traveling in the mountains. They practiced […]
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Film features story of extreme skiing, risks
The March 2012 deaths of a heli-ski guide and client near Haines are profiled in a film currently making the rounds on the festival circuit in the Lower 48. From mid-February to mid-March 2012, filmmaker Ben Clark skied and interviewed staff and clients of Haines-based heli-ski operator Alaska Heliskiing. The result of Clark’s time here […]