Since the 1990s, well-heeled visitors have flocked to Valdez for some of the most famous adventures in the skiing world: guided helicopter tours to long, steep mountain slopes with untouched powder and stunning views of the Prince William Sound scenery.
The Valdez heli-skiing industry is an economic boon to the coastal city of roughly 3,700 that is otherwise best known for the marine terminal of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. But the growing industry has its drawbacks as well, like avalanche risks, noise, environmental degradation and potential conflicts with others recreating or traveling in the backcountry of the Chugach Mountains.
Now federal regulators are considering whether to continue permitted operations mostly as they have occurred over the past decade or make some changes.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Aug. 27 released a draft environmental assessment to guide the next decade of’ heli-skiing activities. The draft proposes that up to eight operators be allowed to obtain permits for the next 10 seasons, which run from January to May during the years from 2026 to 2035.
The BLM is seeking public comments on the draft through Sept. 25.
So far, six companies have already applied for permits to operate over that period; four of them are seeking permit renewals and two companies are new to the area.
The environmental assessment started last year. It is intended to produce a decision about whether to grant those 10-year permits and if so, whether to attach some new conditions.
The process concerns only lands in the area that the BLM owns and manages. The U.S. Forest Service and state of Alaska own other lands in the area that are used for heliskiing, but their permitting is separate.
The BLM is going through the environmental assessment now because the current 10-year special use permits for heli-skiing operators are expiring, said Gordon Claggett, an agency spokesperson.
“To authorize the next phase of special recreation permits, we have to go through an environmental review process,” he said by email. “Applications drive the environmental review.”
The BLM manages about 150,000 acres in the area considered suitable for heli-skiing, of which 133,800 is considered available for that activity. The remainder is closed to protect wildlife.
In the spring of 2024, the BLM received a flurry of public comments, both supportive and critical of Valdez-area heli-skiing, during what is called the scoping period, the preliminary step in the environmental review.
Some commenters argued in favor of an increase in the number of heli-skiing permits, citing economic benefits. Others argued for more restrictions, saying the heli-skiing companies operating now have caused numerous conflicts and negative effects.
The agency’s draft environmental assessment acknowledges those user conflicts and says they might increase as winter recreation expands, though they are likely to vary according to snow and weather conditions.
“The greatest level of conflict would potentially occur on days when the weather is clear and there is adequate snow and cooler temperatures that create ideal conditions for both heli-skiers and backcountry skiers and both user groups are in the area at the same time,” it says.
