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Haines draft would require permits for taxis and tours in the Chilkoot Corridor
A draft Haines Borough ordinance would require a borough permit for every tour, taxi, rideshare driver and multi-day tour working the Chilkoot Corridor, a bear-viewing area where the borough is trying to ease congestion. The Assembly could cap how many permits it issues.
In July, the Assembly adopted a one-year moratorium on new commercial tour permits in the corridor. Its Chilkoot Corridor Working Group, which has spent the year looking at how people and bears share the Chilkoot Lake and river area, had recommended the pause to allow time to evaluate current use "before additional growth occurs."
But taxis, rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft, and multi-day tour companies are "under-regulated," Borough Clerk Michael Denker wrote to department heads in September, and all of them contribute to the problems the borough is trying to address. Tourism Director Rebecca Hylton called it a "commercial transportation loophole." She wrote that multi-day tour vehicles have been driving into the Lutak residential neighborhood, and that the borough doesn't have a complete picture of how many multi-day operators work in Haines or how many passengers they carry.
Under the draft, the Assembly could set the number of corridor permits each December for the following year, with renewals ahead of new applicants. A permit would cost $100, plus a $250 hearing fee for new permits unless the operator already paid it for a tour permit. New or expanded permits would need a public hearing and Assembly approval. Holders would report their customer numbers each year or face a $500 fine.
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Stories on what’s next
Written Comments Due on Lutak Dock Rebuild Solicitation
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Haines Borough Assembly Regular Meeting
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Latest
November 2026
Haines Borough weighs what to do with 1,180 acres at Excursion Inlet
Haines Borough has about 1,180 acres at remote Excursion Inlet and is asking what to do with it: homes, a sale, timber or keeping it for public use.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read
AFN delegates send Klukwan tribe's hardrock mining consent resolution to committee
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by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom 
October 2026
FEMA is still paying for Southeast Alaska's deadly 2020 storms, nearly six years later
FEMA is still paying for Southeast Alaska's deadly 2020 storms. One Haines road it defunded, then refunded, now faces opposition from Klukwan's tribal council.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min read
Haines and Skagway power bills could rise about $180 a month to pay for an undersea cable
Haines and Skagway households could pay about $180 more a month for power under a proposed fund for their undersea cable, the state's consumer advocate says.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read
Haines Assembly may adopt development rules the planning commission asked to see again
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by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Palmer Project companies ask the state to extend their exploration approval to 2033
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by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Haines Borough and Klukwan face gusts to 50 mph under wind advisory starting Monday
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by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Haines trail group and State Parks seek federal money for a Chilkat State Park cabin
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by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readFrom 
More from Haines
State approves Haines barge landing that its forestry division says could also ship timber
The state approved a 25-year lease for a barge landing on Haines' Lutak Inlet. The state forestry division says it could also be used to move timber.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
State plans to allow logging on habitat and recreation lands in Haines State Forest
The state plans to allow logging on Haines State Forest habitat and recreation lands, despite objections from conservation groups and other commenters.
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Haines voters choose a mayor and decide five tax and planning measures
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by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read
September 2026
Haines Borough voters decide five tax and planning measures with no fiscal note
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Three Alaska tribal housing groups win $15.7 million in federal grants for 58 homes
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by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom 
FAA awards $19.6 million to replace worn-out lighting and signs at Haines Airport
Haines Airport's runway lights, taxiway signs and beacon have all reached the end of their useful life, per the FAA, which is sending $19.6 million to fix that.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom 
Hiker injured by bear on Jones Point Trail in Haines
A hiker attacked by a bear on the Jones Point Trail got herself out. It is the second bear attack in Haines in under a month, and both bears are loose.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Flood watch covers Skagway, Haines and Klukwan through Sunday night
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by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Haines Borough Ports and Harbors Advisory Committee Meeting
Assembly Chambers, 315 Haines Highway, Haines, AK, and Zoom (Meeting ID 833 2336 7111, passcode 744008)
Meeting
Haines Borough Assembly Work Session: Proposed Port Chilkoot Dock RFQP Review & Negotiation Process
Meeting
Haines Borough Assembly Regular Meeting
Meeting
Port Chilkoot Dock Executive Session on Negotiating Strategy
Meeting
Port Chilkoot Dock Negotiating Framework Work Session
Meeting
About Haines
Haines (Deishú) is a borough in Southeast Alaska on the Lynn Canal. The Haines Highway links it to Klukwan and to Canada, and the nearby Chilkat River draws a gathering of bald eagles.
The Haines Borough Assembly and planning commission decide land use, leases of borough property and taxes put to voters. Its stories return to timber sales in the Haines State Forest, the Palmer copper and zinc exploration project in the Chilkat Valley, barge landings on Lutak Inlet, and wind and flood advisories shared with Klukwan and Skagway.
Haines shares an undersea power cable with Skagway, and gillnet fishing in Lynn Canal ties it to the Southeast fleet. Bears near local trails and roads are a recurring safety concern.
More from Haines
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by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
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by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom 
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by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
A Haines ordinance cuts more code than the commission voted to change
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by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readFrom 
Haines Highway paving means 20-minute waits through Sunday
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Skagway Ferry Terminal Set to Reopen After 26-Day Closure
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August 2026
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State begins emergency repairs at Skagway ferry terminal with no reopening date
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Skagway's ferry terminal is closed indefinitely for work the state planned as a one-week job
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Gillnetters near Ketchikan and Haines get an extra day on the water
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by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska Zoo moves injured rescued bear, closes exhibit after threats
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July 2026
Senate committee advances bill to give land to five landless SE Alaska Native communities
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Palmer copper project advances as the Chilkat Valley pushes back
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June 2026
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by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Klehini River flows elevated near Klukwan as snowmelt continues in Chilkat Valley
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by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska proposes timber sales in Haines State Forest habitat areas
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by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska proposes timber harvest in all Haines State Forest areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry proposes opening all 286,000 acres of Haines State Forest to timber sales to enable carbon-offset projects, despite 78 percent opposition from a local survey.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Haines State Forest draft opens timber harvest in habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry released a draft plan allowing timber harvest in Haines State Forest wildlife habitat and recreation areas for the first time since 2002, with public comments due by June 5.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read