Group proposes "home-grown" approach to Holland Lake Lodge

Two years ago, a Utah ski corporation and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced a plan to highly develop the rustic Holland Lake Lodge on public land in Condon in the rural Swan Valley.

The ski corporation, POWDR, and USFS touched off a blistering public debate about the future not only of the small town and relatively wild valley, but a discussion about the future of Montana and the high-dollar outside influences changing the Big Sky State’s property, social and natural values.

Skip ahead two years, and the situation has only become more challenging.

A venture capitalist from Park City, Utah, the home of POWDR, says he wants to buy the lodge and develop it in a way he couldn't fully explain at a recent meeting in Condon. His attempt to mollify the crowd with a vague plan for the lodge – which sits on public land – fell flat.

Swan Valley residents have stood up repeatedly and said they want to protect the natural and social integrity of their valley, which is dominated by public land and filled with clean air and water and an array of wildlife.

As unclear as the businessman was, Condon residents and Montanans at the log-cabin Swan Valley Community Hall were certain of their perspective:

• Keep the lodge simple, fix it up within its current footprint, and make it available to the public
• Don’t commodify our public land and wildlife and turn them into pure investments
• Don’t spoil the small-town Montana feeling that dominates the valley, where neighbors look after neighbors and respect their privacy

That’s why the nonprofit Stewards of the Swan Valley is doing its due diligence to determine if a nonprofit can purchase and run the lodge while providing proper maintenance of the buildings.

This would be a “home-grown” approach. We at Stewards of the Swan Valley want to maintain the historical aspects of the lodge and adhere to its legacy that’s treasured by thousands of valley residents, Montanans and Americans.

We know the lodge must break even to ensure that it’s operated efficiently and resources are secured to maintain the facility for years and visitors to come. We’re investigating nonprofit models that could work to run the lodge, and running the numbers to determine what resources and capital are needed to break even and provide a return to invest in the facility’s future. That plan needs to pencil out.

The goal: Preserve the lodge, maintain the property (it needs work), keep the charm, don’t damage the landscape more than current activities do, and create a viable business that fits in with the valley and community and doesn’t stress the infrastructure.

Stewards of the Swan Valley hope you can join our “home-grown” endeavor to protect our iconic public lands and wildlife to ensure that all Americans can enjoy them. To help, get involved, and if you have comments and suggestions, please visit: stewardsoftheswanvalley.org.

Stewards of the Swan Valley is a nonprofit based in Condon dedicated to protecting the natural and cultural resources and rural lifestyle of the western Montana valley. Authors of this letter include Grace Siloti, Fred Clark, John Hallman, Gwen Feese and Bill Lombardi.