Holland Lake photographed on Sept. 2, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan)
The Flathead National Forest last week received a special-use authorization application from the incoming owners of Holland Lake Lodge.
Eric Jacobsen, who recently submitted a purchase agreement to the Forest Service indicating his contract to buy the lodge from longtime owner Christian Wohlfeil, did not request an expansion of either the physical property or operating plan for the historic lodge.
“The Forest Service is currently reviewing this application to determine if it meets screening criteria, including the necessary technical and financial capability to operate the lodge,” according to a statement from the Flathead National Forest. “The application is for continuing the existing use within the existing footprint with no proposed expansion. If the application meets the screening criteria and is accepted, an environmental analysis will begin. Before a decision is made to issue a special-use authorization, there will be an opportunity for public involvement.”
Jacobsen, a private equity investor who grew up in Montana and now splits his time between Whitefish and Park City, first indicated his intent to purchase the lodge earlier this year following several years of public outcry over a proposed sale to outdoor adventure company POWDR and an accompanying expansion plan to build an additional lodge and 26 cabin structures on the property.
Holland Lake Lodge has operated for 100 years on the Flathead National Forest with a special-use permit that was last reissued in 2017.
“I am not making any changes to the permit right now, I’m only applying to have the permit holder changed,” Jacobsen told the Daily Montanan. “I can promise I’ll schedule public meetings again when I’m the permit holder.”
Throughout the fall, Jacobsen held a series of public meetings with Swan Valley residents and nearby community members with vested interests in Holland Lake Lodge, with the goal of creating a more open process than had occurred when POWDR attempted to purchase the property. He cancelled two scheduled meetings due to confidentiality provisions in the contract.
During the meetings, Jacobsen indicated a desire to work with community stakeholders to inform his operating plan for the lodge and reiterated that as someone who had grown up in Great Falls and visited the area as a kid, he did not want to see large-scale development at Holland Lake.
“I want to preserve and protect the lodge and the lodge experience in harmony with nature into the future,” Jacobsen said. “My objective here is not to have some developer come in and develop the property. I genuinely want to preserve it and find out how best to operate a lodge on public land where people can access it.”
The application must be screened by the Forest Service to ensure Jacobsen has the “necessary technical and financial capability” to operate the lodge. Once the application is accepted, the agency will go through an environmental analysis for the proposed operation, which will include seeking public comment. Flathead National Forest Supervisor Anthony Botello is the authorizing official who will sign off on the final determination.
Flathead National Forest spokesperson Kira Powell said there is no timeline for how long the screening process will take, but that the agency will continue updating the public.
“What’s really important to us this time is that we improve communication on this process for this go around,” Powell said.