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BLM seeks input on Thompson Pass and Valdez Guided Helicopter Skiing

Comments accepted on preliminary environmental analysis through September 25
Alaska
Anchorage DO
Glennallen FO
Media Contact
Gordon Claggett
BLM Office:

GLENNALLEN, Alaska – This week the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released for public comment a preliminary environmental assessment on guided helicopter skiing on BLM-managed lands in Thompson Pass and Valdez. Four heli-ski tour operators’ Special Recreation Permits (SRPs) were active from 2005 until May 2025. This preliminary environmental assessment considers the effects of issuing up to eight guided heli-ski SRPs in the area for a ten-year period. The public has until September 25, 2025 to submit comments on the analysis.

This comment period is the next step in a process that began in early 2024. In November 2024 the BLM opened a SRP application window that allowed heli-skiing operators to apply for permits on Valdez area BLM-managed lands over a 10-year period from January 2026 to May 2035. During the application window, the BLM received six SRP applications that requested commercial heli-ski operations on the BLM-managed public lands.  The applicants are: Alaska Backcountry Guides, Black Ops Valdez, Majestic Heliski, Pulseline Adventure, Silverton Mountain Guides, and Valdez Heli Ski Guides.

The public can review the preliminary environmental assessment and submit substantive comments through the BLM National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Register project webpage or via postal mail. Substantive comments identify a concern or issue with the document, describe why it is a problem, and offer factual and unbiased information for consideration.

To comment via the project webpage, please review the documents found under the "Documents" tab on the left side of the webpage and click the green “participate now” link. To submit comments by mail, they must be postmarked by September 25 and sent to:

Bureau of Land Management

Attn: Thompson Pass and Valdez Guided Helicopter Skiing

P.O. Box 147

Glennallen, AK 99588

The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.