POWDR

The owner of a historic lakeside lodge in the Swan Valley said he’s backing down from a plan to expand the resort. The move sparked celebration for a group opposed to the project.

Emails show the Flathead National Forest Service worked closely with a resort company proposing a large expansion of Holland Lake Lodge in the Swan Valley ahead of the proposal’s public unveiling last fall.

A grassroots group that is opposed to the expansion of a lakeside lodge in the Swan Valley is asking the Forest Service for more transparency as it reviews future expansion proposals.

The current owner of Holland Lake Lodge has been seeking to sell the property for years, saying it is in bad shape and in need of updates. Many locals were outraged after they learned of a plan to buy and triple the capacity of the lodge.

A spokesperson for the Flathead National Forest says the agency has rejected plans for a proposed expansion to the Holland Lake Lodge in Condon. That means the project goes back to square one.

A proposed expansion at the Holland Lake Lodge in the Swan Valley continues to draw public criticism over concerns it could hurt the environment and the character of local communities. More than 150 people attended a project Q&A session in Seeley Lake Tuesday.

A proposed expansion to a historic lakeside lodge in Swan Valley has drawn more than 5,600 public comments on the U.S. Forest Service website. A public meeting on the proposal is set for Tuesday, October 4.

The owner of Holland Lake Lodge in the Swan Valley is partnering with POWDR, a ski resort operator, and wants to add a new lodge, cabins, a restaurant and parking lots to accommodate more guests. Susan Monahan of the Seeley-Swan Pathfinder reports more than 100 people raised concerns about the project at an open house earlier this month.