The Trade Secrets of . . . Helicopter-Aided Ski Companies?

This just in from the Anchorage Daily News - heli-ski operators up in Haines, Alaska are apparently required to report to the public as follows: "Every commercial ski tour operator shall use global positioning system 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."

Well, the heli-ski operators are apparently asking that the data be treated as their trade secrets and not subject to review by actual or would-be competitors as public records. One of the opponents of the proposed trade secret treatment of the heli-ski data suggested "Any competitor can go up and see where the helicopters are flying, where the ski tracks are. They do this in broad daylight … this does not need to be withheld from the public."

We'll report back how this one plays out.