Coordinates provided to Alaska State Troopers last week by Alaska Heliskiing put the site of the company’s March 13 fatal accident five miles southwest of the Tsirku River’s “Devil’s Elbow,” inside the Haines Borough’s helicopter skiing boundaries. Commercial pilot Paul Swanstrom, who flew in the area last week, said he spotted a slide there that […]
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Heli-ski firm not releasing accident data
One week after an avalanche claimed the lives of a heli-ski client and guide, key details of the March 13 accident are missing, including its precise location. Alaska State Trooper Josh Bentz said Wednesday he has asked Alaska Heliskiing four or five times for the coordinates of the accident, information he needs to complete his […]
Posted inNews, Public Safety
Heli-ski guide, client killed in avalanche
A heli-ski guide and a client died after being caught in an avalanche Tuesday morning during a heli-ski tour near Chilkat Lake. Alaska State Trooper Josh Bentz said Robert Liberman, 35, of Telluride, Colo., was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. at the Haines clinic. Nickolay Dodov, 26, of Truckee, Calif., died Wednesday afternoon at Seattle’s […]
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Assembly OKs GPS spot checks
The Haines Borough Assembly last week approved an ordinance for spot checks of global positioning system data to monitor compliance with helicopter skiing regulations. Assemblymen Daymond Hoffman and Norm Smith were opposed in the 4-2 vote. As introduced in January, the ordinance would have required regular reporting of GPS data, but kept it confidential unless required in an investigation or court […]
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Assembly moves to make GPS data public for ‘spot checks’
Under a proposed ordinance up for adoption Tuesday, global positioning system data for helicopter skiing submitted to the Haines Borough is public information, but it’s unclear how often that information would be collected. The assembly last week amended the ordinance that would have made the data confidential, unless required in an official investigation or court proceeding. Members […]
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GPS data a trade secret? Heli-ski companies want coordinates to be confidential
The Haines Borough Assembly in a 4-2 vote Tuesday introduced an ordinance that would make global positioning system data for helicopter skiing confidential. “The only thing about this ordinance is you have to be satisfied that the GPS data is indeed a trade secret, and the people who bear the burden of that proof are the operators […]
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Assembly OKs SEABA permit
The Haines Borough Assembly on Aug. 9 unanimously renewed a commercial permit for Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA), but members said they want more information on how global positioning system data will be used to track helicopter skiing. Members discussed the permit at a meeting on July 26, but approval was delayed to hear recommendations from police […]
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Borough helicopter group has yet to meet on 2011 season
Due to scheduling conflicts, the Haines Borough’s mayor-appointed helicopter skiing work group has yet to meet for an evaluation of this year’s season, said borough manager Mark Earnest. Following five public hearings to discuss a revised heli-skiing ordinance, the Haines Borough Assembly in March adopted an ordinance permitting up to three operators to share a 2,600-skier-day limit […]
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SEABA seeks planners’ OK of heliport at 26 Mile
Members of the Haines Borough Planning Commission on Thursday were slated to consider a conditional use permit for a 26 Mile Haines Highway heliport that would serve helicopter skiing tours, but the applicants withdrew their request. Borough clerk Julie Cozzi said applicants had withdrawn their conditional use permit request, but “they plan to bring it back.” The next planning […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Manager approves 2,200 skier days
Haines Borough Manager Mark Earnest has allocated a total of 2,200 skier days to the borough’s three helicopter skiing tour operators for a season to run through May 3. His distribution was Alaska Heliskiing, 1,250; Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA), 750; and Alaska Mountain Guides (AMG), 200. “These numbers represent the initial allocation for the 2011 season,” […]