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New buyer eyes Swan Valley lodge at center of public land dispute

At the Holland Lake Lodge near Condon, MT, an old, worn sign hanging from a pole reads, "Welcome to the Lodge."
Austin Amestoy
At the Holland Lake Lodge near Condon, MT, an old, worn sign hanging from a pole reads, "Welcome to the Lodge."

The Flathead National Forest says Holland Lake Lodge has a new potential buyer. The historic lodge in the Swan Valley has been at the center of a dispute over the use of public land.

The new buyer is private equity investor Eric Jacobsen. He co-founded a firm that invests in properties across the Mountain West, according to an online biography. Originally from Great Falls, he says he now splits its time between Park City, Utah and Whitefish, Montana.

Jacobsen told MTPR he’s seeking to buy the lodge to, “preserve and protect the lodge and the lodge experience in harmony with nature and the community.” Jacobsen’s exact plans for the lodge aren’t yet known.

A previous effort by Utah-based ski resort company POWDR to buy Holland Lake Lodge and significantly expand its footprint sparked a wave of public backlash in 2022. The company and the lodge’s current owner earlier this year pulled out of that effort and announced plans to sell.

Jacobsen held public meetings this fall aiming to address concerns from Swan Valley residents that he would attempt a similar expansion. He points to a message he left online during public comment on POWDR’s proposal in which he said he spent time at the lodge as a child and was “vehemently opposed” to the project.

Members of ad-hoc groups opposed to development at Holland Lake Lodge say they’re skeptical of Jacobsen’s intentions. Condon business owner Grace Siloti is a founder of the “Save Holland Lake” organization. She says she doesn’t want the small town to be “run over” by an expansion at the site.

“We want to make sure it’s kept for what it should be, and not turned into another Bozeman, another Whitefish,” Siloti says. 

Before any expansion of the site can happen, the new owner will need to apply for a special use permit. New projects on the site would also go through an environmental review process with public involvement before they’re approved or rejected by the Forest Service.

Jacobsen said his application for a new special use permit is “in process.” The Forest Service in an email to MTPR confirmed it hadn’t received a permit application as of October 29.

He intends to hold more public meetings at a later date.

Austin graduated from the University of Montana’s journalism program in May 2022. He came to MTPR as an evening newscast intern that summer, and jumped at the chance to join full-time as the station’s morning voice in Fall 2022.

He is best reached by emailing austin.amestoy@umt.edu.
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