5.24.040 General permit conditions and regulations.
Commercial helicopter ski tours, commercial ski productions and special ski competition events are governed as follows:
A. The operating season is February 1st through May 3rd unless a different period is noted on the “Haines Borough Approved Commercial Ski Tour Areas.”
B. All activity shall be conducted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., except that the borough may authorize additional hours for no more than 30 days.
C. All activity shall be conducted only in areas identified on the map labeled “Haines Borough Approved Commercial Ski Tour Areas” as provided in HBC 5.24.050.
D. Every permit holder shall use global positioning system (“GPS”) equipment capable of tracking and preserving information establishing the route taken by the helicopter to and from the skiing and snowboarding area and all landings. This information shall be cataloged in a manner requested by the borough and provided when requested by the borough during each commercial ski tour season.
E. Every permit holder shall submit to the borough clerk, on forms provided by the borough, weekly use reports, due by 5:00 p.m. each Monday during the season, detailing the following information:
1. Number of skier days used during each day of the reporting period;
2. Any deviations from the flight guidelines;
3. Incident reports (date, time, location) reflecting each time when two different permit holders are working in the same drainage and how they shared/managed use of the space;
4. Any accidents;
5. Mountain goat and other wildlife sightings.
F. The borough manager shall compile a season-end report to be submitted to the borough assembly annually in July. The report shall include the number of helicopters used daily by each permitted company as compared to previous years, and it shall include any verified permit infractions along with correspondence and other information documenting reasons for the infractions.
G. The borough will establish a system for receiving and responding to complaints from the public.
H. Every permit holder shall submit to the borough clerk annually a safety and operating plan that, at a minimum, will include (1) avalanche safety (addressing client safety, as well as safety of other backcountry users in the area); (2) helicopter safety; (3) emergency rescue procedures; and (4) guide requirements.
I. Explosives shall not be used for avalanche control.
J. Every permit holder shall register contracted helicopters, their N number, color scheme, and pilot’s name with the borough by February 1st of each year.
K. The permit holder is responsible for obtaining authorizations required by other agencies for the permitted activity. Each permit holder will provide a copy of any other authorizations to the borough clerk.
L. Reserved.
M. Every permit holder shall submit to the borough clerk a copy of a signed agreement requiring all permit holders to come to each other’s aid in the event of an accident or a mechanical problem that strands a helicopter used to transport heliski permit holder’s staff or customers. Such agreement shall also require heliski permit holders to maintain open lines of communication with other permit holders to promote safety and share terrain use planning.
N. Every permit holder shall use an authorized/permitted heliport.
O. Special Ski Competition Event. Special ski competition events and productions must take place with a permit holder. Special ski competition events may not last longer than seven days in any three-week period of time. (Ord. 22-02-608 §§ 9 – 14; Ord. 21-10-598 §§ 7 – 9; Ord. 18-09-512 § 40)