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FAQs

-    Are you building a ski hill with lifts? 

  • NO. That is not part of our plan.

-    How can we be sure that the plan won’t expand once approved?

  • The current permit would allow us to place any facilities beyond the existing footprint and any attempt to do so would trigger another MDP plan revision.  Because of the special conditions relating to the Grizzly Corridor, this can only be revised once every 10 years.

-    Are motorized watercraft going to be part of your operation?

  • Holland Lake Lodge will not offer or allow motorized boats.  In addition, we will install a non-motorized watersport dock, as well as two swim docks.  Our goal is to promote the quiet enjoyment of the area without adding the sound of motorized boats or jet skis.

-    Will this be accessible to the public?

  • YES. This is a requirement of the nearly 100-year-old Special Use Permit, which is for a business that offers recreation to the public. To further that purpose, we plan to add a new lodge, new cabins and smaller studio cabins, with nightly rates accessible to many visitors. The restaurant and bar will continue to remain open to the public. The current plan also would winterize the buildings, making Holland Lake Lodge a year-round destination.

-    Why do you need to expand the current lodge?

  • A calculation was made to upgrade the foundation and structures to be viable and environmentally sustainable for decades to come. We are confident that the impact of increased guests will be minimal on the surrounding environment. For instance, the current property can accommodate 50 guests, and the updated property has room for up to 150 guests. By comparison, the nearby Holland Lake Campground can accommodate over 500 people.  The proposed incremental increase of around 40-50 beds is within a scale for the present area and permit. 

-    Why is the parking lot so big?

  • To offer sufficient parking for campers, hikers, and guests, including day use. In addition, we're hoping to keep cars away from the lake, deter guests from parking at the cabins, and keep the surface gravel to avoid impervious surfaces. 

-    Why do you need to winterize the buildings? 

  • The same reason you winterize your home: so you can live in comfort year-round. This also preserves the buildings, keeps pests and rodents out, and saves energy by reducing the amount needed to maintain the heat of the structure.

-    Are you going to keep the old lodge? 

  • YES! We plan to keep the old lodge and extend the bar area into the current restaurant. In addition, we’ll put in more tables and couches to create a comfortable lounge area for guests to enjoy coffee, tea or their favorite cocktail. 

-    How can the public get involved? 

  • Please comment on this website to share your support and/or ideas for improvement.

-    Would POWDR own the land? 

  • POWDR will be the new operator of the nearly 100-year-old United States Forest Service (USFS) Resort / Marina special use permit at Holland Lake. The permit operator owns the buildings and improvements, the government owns the land and administers the permit.

-    How many jobs would this create for locals?

  • We plan to create about 25 jobs and hope local residents, for whom we would have a preference, will find opportunities that are not currently available to them. 

-    Does POWDR have any other property in Montana?

  • No.

-    Is anyone at POWDR from Montana or live here?

  • We have numerous employees who are originally Montanans, and we will have a General Manager, Maintenance Manager and Food and Beverage Manager who will be full time residents of the Lodge and/or local community, as well as other Montana-based positions that will be both year-round and seasonal.

-    Why can’t Christian maintain this property and keep it as is?

  • Christian considered making improvements to this business, as he currently utilizes only a fraction of what the permit allows. An expansion was planned but never executed.  However, he decided the lodge and its legacy are best served with investments beyond his capacity by someone who shares his Montana values and vision.

-    When will project renderings be available? 

  • You can see pictures here.  These are draft concepts and have been and will continue to be refined as we receive more feedback.

-    What is POWDR going to do with public comments? 

  • We are reading through the comments and taking them into consideration as we work to finalize the MDP.  We have received numerous helpful ideas on how to address community comments and look forward to incorporating them into our final plan.

-   Will an out-of-state company understand Holland Lake Lodge’s local significance and maintain it?

  • POWDR is an adventure lifestyle family-owned company with outdoor recreation properties across the country. Each of these properties is known by their own local brand and remains true to local values. The company was founded in 1994 to provide everyone with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, and those core values remain at the forefront of the company today. It is part of the company ethos to ensure that future generations enjoy the good fortune to experience our outdoors as we do - with healthy ecosystems and clean air and water.

-    How will you ensure the water quality in Holland Lake doesn’t degrade?

  • Water quality of the lake is very important to us. All wastewater is treated across the main access road in a Forest Service owned facility (roughly ½ mile from the lake). In addition, there is a 20-ft Lakefront Protection Zone where development cannot take place. And, we’ve moved vehicle parking away from the lake.

-    Will there be opportunities to meet with POWDR or to engage with this group?

  • Yes. Information sessions and one-on-one meetings will continue. To request a meeting contact the lodge. 

-    How long is all of this going to take? What’s the project timeline? 

  • Planning and assessment is underway. Construction is proposed to begin in September 2023 with completion in the spring of 2025.

-    Which government agencies review and approve POWDR’s applications/plans?

  • U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Missoula County Planning and Permitting.

-   What environmental analysis has been done? Is more needed?

  • NEPA requires that every and all environmental impacts of the project be considered by the Forest Service when it reviews the Master Development Plan.  This is done in three phases.  First, each national forest operates under a high-level guidance document which prescribes how subordinate decisions like special use permits are considered. This document, known as a land management plan, is updated periodically, typically every 10-15 years.  The most recent revision of the Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan was adopted in 2019, after  more than five years of effort, including a full Environmental Impact Statement.  While the US Forest Service is the lead agency on such Environmental Impact Statements, other federal and state agencies cooperate by providing their specific expertise to the analysis.  This includes the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Because it is revised only periodically, the Land Management Plan considers multiple stakeholders and must analyze the cumulative impacts of expected growth.  As a result, it identifies and directs areas of high recreational density that can help offset more dispersed impacts in sensitive areas.  Holland lake is one such area of high recreational use density.  The second phase of impact analysis occurs when Special use Permits are issued.  At that point, the USFS evaluates the permit against the Land Management Plan and ensures that the cumulative effects of the permit and its expected use over the successive years, along with use by other stakeholders such as Special Use Permit Holders across the lake, don’t combine to go beyond what was already assumed by the final EIS of the Land Management Plan.  Finally, the same sorts of analyses are made when a permit holder requests any changes by submitting a master development plan for the permit area.   At each of these three phases, things like water quality, forest health, grizzly habitat, bull trout habitat, loon habitat, nesting bird habitat, and lynx and other wildlife habitat are considered and evaluated, along with other things like soil, air, water, and cultural heritage.

-   Won’t increasing capacity mean more tourists? Can the area handle that?

  • Yes, it will likely mean more folks will be enjoying the recreation opportunities around Holland Lake. Please see the Flathead National Forest Management Plan for details on how USFS determines recreation, timber and conservation priorities inside the National Forest.  In the latest revision of the Flathead Forest Land Management Plan, which was finalized after a nearly five-year process that included an Environmental Impact Statement, the Holland Lake area was designated a high-density recreational use area.   The cumulative impacts of expected growth on the area, its natural systems, and wildlife were considered.  Any decision by the US Forest Service will be consistent with that plan.

-    Will locals receive discounts to ensure affordability?

  • YES. Shoulder season discounts for local residents will continue and we will consider other ways to encourage use by area residents.

-    Which government agencies review and approve POWDR’s applications/plans?

  • US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Missoula County Planning and Permitting.

-   When I Google POWDR, I see “POWDR is one of the largest ski resort operators in North America, along with Boyne Resorts, Alterra Mountain Company, Aspen Skiing Company and Vail Resorts. It is owned by the Cumming family and headquartered in Park City, Utah.” How can we trust that a ski resort company isn’t going to change the lodge?

  • POWDR will be the new operator of the nearly 100-year-old United States Forest Service (USFS) Resort / Marina special use permit at Holland Lake. The permit operator owns the buildings and improvements, the government owns the land and administers the permit.

  • ​We receive this question all the time and cannot stress strongly enough that we have no plans to build a ski resort at Holland Lake Lodge.

-    What is a special use permit and how does it apply to Holland Lake? 

  • Holland Lake Lodge has operated under a Resort / Marina Special Use Permit with the US Forest Service since 1924. This type of permit allows private companies to own and operate resorts and marinas inside National Forests with the stipulation that facilities like lodging, restaurants, rentals, and guide services are open to the public and increase American’s exposure to outdoor recreation opportunities in the National Forest.  There are dozens of these Resort / Marina permits across the country including locations such as:

    • Elkins Resort, Priest Lake, ID

    • Redfish Lake Lodge, Stanley, ID

    • Lake Quinault Lodge, Quinault, WA

  • One of the requirements of operating this type of permit is to submit a Master Development Plan (MDP) to the Forest Service proposing how to improve privately owned buildings inside the permit area to better provide recreational access in the National Forest. Once accepted by the Forest Service, the MDP is subject to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

  • This is different from the smaller special use permits for cabins across the lake, primarily because, unlike those private permits, the purpose of the Holland Lake Lodge Special Use Permit is to create opportunities for public access.  
     

-    What is the Permit's Footprint within the National Forest

  • In the 2+ million-acre Flathead National Forest, the government set aside over 1.5 million acres as designated wilderness, recommended wilderness and wild and scenic areas. Three percent of Flathead National Forest (57,000 acres) is designated for focused public recreation including trail systems, campgrounds, day use areas, resorts, marinas, and ski areas. The permit area at Holland Lake Lodge is 15 acres, or 0.0000075% of the land base inside the Flathead National Forest. Focused recreation - and areas like Holland Lake Lodge - are meant to be used for higher intensity recreation services precisely so that designated wilderness and wild and scenic areas can be conserved.

-    About the Flathead National Forest Management Plan – Holland Lake Use Designation

  • Management Area 7: Focused Recreation Area
    Focused recreation areas typically feature certain types of recreation activities that take place near or at a large lake or reservoir, developed ski area or year-round resort, large campground, or trail system. Recreational use is already occurring in many of these areas, but in some cases the use would be enhanced through an emphasis on trail, road, and facility maintenance; increased visitor contact, education, and/or the development of additional recreation opportunities such as mountain bike trails, hiking trails, or boat ramps. These areas would accommodate existing as well as additional recreation growth and are intended to benefit local economies by having robust recreation settings that are responsive to changing conditions and changing use patterns and demands. This management area provides a focal point for not only existing recreation but also for new and/or enhanced recreation activities.

-    I’m having a hard time understanding what is really going on with this process. Are there straightforward resources I can refer to? 

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