Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures and Alaska Mountain Guides representatives championed the positive economic impacts of the heli-ski industry on Haines during a recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Scott Sundberg and Nick Trimble, co-owners of SEABA, and AMG President Sean Gaffney spoke to the chamber Feb. 8 about their expectations for the upcoming season and the future […]
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Posted inLetters to the Editor
Cozzi made right decision on permit
As a staunch supporter of the heli-skiing industry in Haines, I would like to applaud the borough clerk Julie Cozzi on her decision to renew the permit for Alaska Heliskiing. Kudos to Ms. Cozzi, the borough and its legal representative for making the right decision vs. caving in the face of an endless barrage of […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Tour permits are earned, not owned
Whether Alaska Heliskiing should get their borough permit renewed to operate a commercial activity on public lands may be debatable. But the most disturbing fact from last week’s heli-ski article was the borough’s statements that a tour permit is not a privilege but rather a property right, equivalent to a piece of property. Please. We all […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Borough should not renew heli-ski permit
Following the news of your town has made it apparent that although you live in a beautiful part of the world it is a difficult place to live. With the harsh weather and ebb and flow of seasonal work one must be creative and hard working. But it is also apparent that living where you live is […]
Posted inNews
Heli-ski requests pass cap
Alaska Mountain Guides, a company that has previously conducted its heli-ski operations mainly out of Skagway, is looking to move those operations to Haines. According to its 2013 permit application to the Haines Borough, AMG is seeking 450 skier days. Last year, the company requested and was allocated 200 days, but only used five. AMG is […]
Posted inNews
National heli-ski group focuses on standards
The Haines Borough’s heli-ski season is just around the corner, and in the wake of an accident that killed two people last spring, concerns about safety aren’t going away. Like much of the recreation industry, heli-skiing falls largely outside most state and federal regulations concerning occupational safety and health. Similarly, the borough, which requires heli-ski […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
How do skiers know if guide is stoned?
In response to the statement from state trooper spokesman Lt. Dial (Dec. 13 CVN, “Troopers Won’t Re-visit Heli-ski Probe”): “If Liberman survived, he could potentially be held criminally liable, but the company is not criminally liable by extension.” Had Rob survived, who would have known THC was in his bloodstream? It was the result of […]
Posted inNews
2012: The Year in Review
The earth moved in 2012 and the shift wasn’t only the “slump” on the side of Mount Ripinsky that cleaved a house and split Lutak Road. Four-term incumbent state Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, aiming to become Speaker of the House, lost his seat to Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a 23-year-old Sitkan seeking his first political office. Klukwan, Inc., once among the wealthiest Native […]
Posted inNews
Troopers won’t revisit heli-ski probe
Alaska State Troopers will not reopen an investigation into the heli-ski accident that killed two people in Haines last spring, Lt. Rodney Dial said this week. Natalia and Alex Dodov filed an employee conduct complaint in mid-November against Trooper Josh Bentz, who conducted the investigation into the deaths of Alaska Heliskiing client Nikolay Dodov and […]
Posted inNews
Heli-ski safety claim in question
Until Tuesday evening, Haines-based Alaska Heliskiing claimed on its website to be a member of the Alaska Helicopter Skiing Association, which does not exist, according to numerous industry operators. In the safety section of the company’s website, under the heading “Our Safety Program,” Alaska Heliskiing claimed membership in an organization called the Alaska Helicopter Skiing […]