Washington D.C. involved in Holland Lake Lodge process

The final outcome of the Holland Lake Lodge could still be years away, but Forest Service officials in Washington D.C have joined the process in deciding the future of the resort.

Representatives from the nonprofit Save Holland Lake told members of the public at the Swan Valley Community Council on Aug. 15 that questions submitted by Save Holland and the public have been routed to the Forest Service national headquarters.

With new development looming, the council also started the process of creating a zoning map for the Condon area.

Bill Lombardi revealed that in talks with the Region 1 Forest Supervisor Carol Hatfield that all questions about the lodge are going to the Forest Service chief in Washington, lengthening response times and limiting more local leaders on their lodge decision making.

Officials told Lombardi that the ultimate decision will be made by the Flathead National Forest, with the regional office involved.

"It's going all the way to Washington D.C, so if you want information, it's going to take a long time," Lombardi said.

Daniel Hottle, the press officer for the Forest Service Northern Region, said since no new development permit is on the table, no process of sending messages to Washington D.C has been developed.

However, he said in the next sentence of an email that "The (Flathead) Forest and the Northern Regional Office do consult with our national USDA Forest Service leadership on a regular basis regarding public communication efforts due to the high level of public interest in Holland Lake."

Lombardi said this is because Sen. Jon Tester brought the issue to a national audience last year.

Tester questioned Forest Service Chief Randy Moore in March, asking why the original application was using a categorical exclusion, or the least strict environmental assessment.

"Unfortunately - and I do say unfortunately with the strongest of terms - a categorical exclusion was used not to cut trees or not to prevent forest fires, but to allow a corporation to set up in our forest lands, in our national forest, a facility that would include a lot of potential devastating impacts," Tester said. "And it was done using a categorical exclusion."

Moore responded that categorical exclusions have been used by the Forest Service extensively.

"I will look into this and get back with you, but you can use categorical exclusions for more than just cutting trees," Moore responded.

Tester argued that the categorical exclusion, passed by congress in 2010, should be used for urgent forestry projects, not for corporations to build new lodges. He added that he thinks someone found a loophole in the categorical exclusion policy, and cut themselves a deal.

"The government shouldn't ever be cutting a deal," Tester said.

Lombardi and other members of Save Holland Lake are trying to access updates to a new permit that E-3 Destinations, a subsidiary of POWDR, requested in February so the management of the lodge can be legally transferred.

The current permit under review would not change from the old one, except for who would financially control the lodge. Any time there is a change of ownership or control, a new special use permit must be issued by the Forest Service.

This process is private and requires no public participation, according to Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling. Members of Save Holland Lake agreed that the Forest Service can keep the process private, but argued it should be open to the public for greater transparency.

The lodge, which has operated on the edge of Holland Lake since 1927, has been in the process of securing a major upgrade and expansion. The new company POWDR hopes to triple the footprint of the site with a new 13,000 square foot lodge, a restaurant and 26 new cabins.

In total, the original proposal would construct 32 new buildings, while demolishing 10 older cabins. The acreage of the permit would also increase from 10 acres to 15 acres.

The request for a new permit came into controversy after residents and other Montanans brought concerns over the environment, increased prices and disregarding local opinion in the application.

In November 2022, the Forest Service Region 1 supervisor denied the new special use permit, but POWDR can submit the special use permit again. Stacey Hutchinson, vice president of communications and government affairs at POWDR, said there is no timeline for when the permit application will be completed.

"Over the past several months, we've been continuing our community engagement efforts and

gaining helpful insights from the community on their ideas on how we can improve the (Master Development Plan)," Hutchinson said in an email.

A website developed by POWDR and Holland Lake Lodge Inc. said last November that it plans to resubmit its master development plan and will make several changes based on public comment, including supporting a full environmental assessment.

"Our plan will not, however, compromise on scale," the November message said. "A smaller lodge with fewer, more expensive lodging options would not align with our mission of making the outdoors more accessible to a broader spectrum of customer."

There is currently no price plan available for the future lodge. While the proposed expansion is not up for decision, part owner Christian Wohlfiel has been handing out cards that ask for positive comments on the new expansion, according to several people at the Aug. 15 meeting.

Monica Tranel, a Democrat candidate for the Montana western congressional district, attended the meeting and asked how the Forest Service weighs different factors on the decision, like lodging versus access for hiking or camping.

"It's about different uses, different opportunities for all groups," Dowling said. "Some people like camping in the backcountry, some prefer lodging."

Jim Morrision, a former Forest Service employee in Region 1, said residents in the area should be aware of how much preservation work has been done in the Upper Swan Valley in the last 30 years.

He specifically pointed out a 2017 section purchase for $3.4 million by the Forest Service and other conservation groups to stop a private developer from building houses less than a mile away from Holland Lake.

"The one thing we are trying to prevent is exactly what POWDR is trying to do," Morrison said.

Later in the meeting, the community council brought in Missoula County Planner Andrew Hagemeier to discuss making a zoning plan for the Condon area. After the County Commissioners visited the council in June, Hagemeier said the council and the county hope to develop a custom Condon land use plan.

About five years ago the council submitted a community plan to the county commissioners, but Hagemeier said gaps in public meeting records prevented the county from implementing the plan. He said there were missing agendas and meeting notices.

Despite the missing information, Hagemeier said there is potential to loop in the old plan with adjustments for 2023. With local zoning, the community council would have the chance to designate areas as residential, commercial and agricultural, with room to make specific recommendations to areas where development would work and not work.

"A lot has changed in Montana since 2017," Hagemeier said. "What I am here to do is engage the community and have a conversation specifically about land use."

A planning subcommittee was then formed to start developing a plan, which could be completed in the next year.