Agency Grants Special Use Permit to New Owners of Holland Lake Lodge

The Flathead National Forest has granted a new special use permit for Holland Lake Lodge, authorizing the historic lakeside property’s new owners — the Utah developers behind Holland Peak, LLC — to operate the lodge within the existing footprint and facilities for the next 20 years. Agency officials also approved a 2025 operating plan authorizing Eric Jacobsen, the principal owner, to operate the lodge within the existing footprint and facilities.

The U.S. Forest Service also requires the permit holders to complete a master development plan describing the details of their operation within the next five years. The owners said they are committed to including the public in the process, which has not yet begun.

The lodge is not currently open for day-to-day room rentals or restaurant service. The owners are tentatively planning to reopen in 2026, although the timing will depend on a property assessment and clearing a backlog of deferred maintenance.

“The top priority for the new owners is assessing the safety of the current property and making plans to address deferred maintenance,” according to a news release on behalf of Holland Peak, LLC. “The new owners are looking to engage with a broad array of experts to help inform the Master Development Plan process when it begins, and are committed to considering public input and creating opportunities for dialogue in the master planning process and will share updates as that process begins.”

A master development plan is a long-range flexible plan “designed to ensure alignment between the permit holder and the Forest Service and ensure compliance with the forest plan,” according to Flathead National Forest Supervisor Anthony Botello.

“Any actions proposed within the master development plan that are outside of the currently permitted activities, would require further analysis and public involvement prior to approval,” Botello said.

In late May, the U.S. Forest Service announced that it had approved a special use authorization for Holland Lake Lodge. The permit was formally granted to Holland Peak, LLC on July 1.

“The authorization does not include any new activities, nor any expansion of Holland Lake Lodge facilities,” according to a Flathead National Forest news release announcing the permit authorization. “The Forest Service will administer the operations and activities consistent with the terms and conditions of the special use permit to ensure that operations are conducted safely for visitors and resources are protected.”

Despite the lodge’s closure this summer, the new owners said they aim to make it available for private group bookings beginning this fall, including weddings, family reunions, corporate and creative retreats, educational workshops and seasonal gatherings, and fundraisers.

“Pending U.S. Forest Service approval, each group would have the opportunity to enjoy partial or total access to the historic lodge, lakeside cabins, and surrounding grounds — a rare opportunity to gather in one of Montana’s most awe-inspiring natural landscapes,” according to Holland Peak, LLC.

Updates will be shared through the lodge’s website and social media platforms.

“Community collaboration will be a cornerstone of the lodge’s renewed mission,” the release states. “The new ownership team recognizes the responsibility of operating a private lodge situated on public land and is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to ensure full compliance with environmental, infrastructural, accessibility and operational standards.”

Botello said he signed the decision notice after determining, based on analysis by a team of resource specialists and public feedback, that the applicants met the agency’s screening criteria and have “the financial and technical capability to operate the lodge.”

First permitted in 1924, Holland Lake Lodge has been in continual operation under a special-use authorization from the forest “for over 100 years,” according to Botello, who said the new permit applicants seek “to conduct the business in the same scope, intensity, size, scale, and footprint of the existing permit.”

Under the new permit, Holland Peak, LLC, can operate the lodge in its existing footprint on national forest land, provide guest accommodations, dining and beverage services (including the sale of liquor), host special events, and offer canoe and kayak rentals. Staffing will include a full-time lodge manager, a full-time maintenance manager, and a food and beverage manager. The resort would operate seven days a week from June through October.

Last reissued in 2017, the permit is reviewed annually. however, the existing special-use permit automatically expires with a change in proprietorship, requiring reauthorization by the U.S. Forest Service, as well as review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including the opportunity to comment.

Having received the application last October, Botello and his team of permit administrators launched the environmental review process on April 7, when they proposed authorizing a 20-year permit to Utah investors Jacobsen and Thomas Knowles. Botello said the scoping process generated about 340 comments.

Even though the proposed new permit would mirror the existing permit, Botello said agency officials examined it carefully and with sensitivity, due in part to the lingering skepticism that has trailed the lakeside resort property since a high-profile expansion proposal faltered in 2022.

The smaller scale of the new permit distinguishes it from the previous expansion proposal, Botello said, recalling the fraught administrative review process that drew more than 6,000 public comments from elected officials, conservation advocacy groups and individual stakeholders, while also prompting a region-wide “Hands off Holland Lake” campaign.

That development proposal was submitted by Utah-based adventure-lifestyle company POWDR and included plans to triple the lodge’s nightly capacity by building a new 28-room lodge and 26 cabin structures.

The new proprietors have taken care to distance themselves from the previous developers, with Jacobsen telling Swan Valley residents last September that he grew up in Great Falls and intends to “preserve and sustain the lodge experience.” Jacobsen said he is a fourth-generation Montanan who now divides his time between Whitefish and Park City, Utah.

“Some of my family’s most treasured memories took place at Holland Lake and I am personally committed to preserving the legacy, character, and natural beauty that has made Holland Lake Lodge a beloved destination for generations,” Jacobsen said in a statement announcing the permit approval.

Rebecca Ramsey, a Swan Valley resident and the former executive director of the nonprofit Swan Valley Connections, will serve as the lodge’s general manager.

“A respected leader for more than 26 years in Montana, Ms. Ramsey brings a distinguished background in land stewardship, education, hospitality, and the arts,” according to the Holland Lake, LLC press release. Ramsey’s other leadership roles have included leading the Ruby Valley Conservation District and the Virginia City Area Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s an honor to be one of the stewards of this magical place. The place is our product, so our approach to management centers on ensuring sustainability and harmony with the environment and the diverse wildlife that share this corridor,” according to a statement from Ramsey. “We look forward to welcoming all to enjoy Holland Lake Lodge as a place where people can connect to nature, to themselves, and to one another.”

Stewards of the Swan Valley, a Condon-based nonprofit that works to preserve the region’s natural and cultural resources, released a statement after the federal agency announced issuing the special-use permit for Holland Lake Lodge.

“For generations, Holland Lake Lodge has served as a gathering place for thousands of Montanans and Americans to enjoy our great public lands. It should remain that way into the future,” according to the statement. “More than 7,000 Americans told the U.S. Forest Service that they want to keep the lodge the way it is and not expand it to a giant destination resort. The land and wastewater system won’t accommodate that. We hope the new owners will manage the lodge consistent with the vision and values expressed by locals and Americans at large. And we’ll ensure that Americans have access to our public lands in the Swan Valley for generations to come.” 

More information can be found online at the U.S. Forest Service website dedicated to Holland Lake Lodge. As part of the public process, all of the documents related to the special permit issuance can be found here.

The project page now also includes information related to the agency-owned wastewater treatment facility that serves the lodge and a portion of the Holland Lake Campground and an RV dump station. During the lodge’s centennial anniversary last year, the owners did not open Holland Lake Lodge due to ongoing deficiencies with the system.

The wastewater treatment system will not be fully functional by this summer recreation season, Forest Service officials said, limiting the scope of this summer’s operations, which may include scaled-down activities than can be provided with limited or temporary wastewater facilities, such as weddings, boat rentals, and limited food and drink services.

Although environmental analysis of the treatment system’s replacement are separate from the special use authorization for the lodge’s new owners to assume control of the property, forest officials added the related materials in response to questions from the public.

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