"In one of the few results that has remained relatively stable and unchanged for years were the number of people who value protection of public lands. Ninety-five percent of [Montanans] agreed that leaders should protect public lands.”
Poll after poll show that Montanans and Americans who live in the West overwhelmingly support their public lands, just like the public lands that surround the Swan Valley’s Holland Lake.
The Holland Lake Lodge sits on public land that we all own and can enjoy. But the U.S. Forest Service and POWDR, based in Utah and one of North America’s largest ski developers, want to triple the size of Holland Lake Lodge and bring commercial recreation and industrial tourism to this pristine lake.
Take a look at the latest Montana State University-Billings’ 2022 Mountain States Poll, which shows that 95 percent of Montanans want officials to protect their public lands, where they have access to hunt, fish, hike, recreate and spend time with their friends and family.
Here’s what the Daily Montanan said about the poll question on whether Montana officials should protect public land: "In one of the few results that has remained relatively stable and unchanged for years were the number of people who value protection of public lands. Ninety-five percent of [Montanans] agreed that leaders should protect public lands.”
And, not coincidentally, 99 percent of 6,500 comments submitted to the Flathead National Forest oppose this massive development on our public lands.
Public elected officials, are you listening?
We hope you are.
Those of you who support our public lands can write to your local, state, and federal elected officials and urge them to stand up for OUR public lands and Save Holland Lake.
Deny the Forest Service/POWDR permit request now.
Take Action by:
– Posting your opposition on Your Social Media and sharing Facebook posts from the Save Holland Lake facebook page.
– Writing to your elected officials
Missoula County Commissioners
If you would like to provide public comment to the Missoula Board of County Commissioners please email bcc@missoulacounty.us
Commissioner Juanita Vero jvero@missoulacounty.us
Commissioner Josh Slotnik jslotnick@missoulacounty.us
Commissioner Dave Strohmaier: dstrohmaier@missoulacounty.us
Montana Governor, Senators, and Representative
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/
https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines https://www.daines.senate.gov/contact/
https://www.daines.senate.gov/services/email-steve/
U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale https://rosendale.house.gov/contact/
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte https://governor.mt.gov/Contact/
Seeley-Swan Valley Legislators
State Sen. Shannon O’Brien shannon.obrien@mtleg.gov
State Rep. Mike Hopkins Mike.Hopkins@mtleg.gov
U.S. Forest Service
Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurtis.Steele@usda.gov
Region One Forester Leanne Martin leanne.marten@usda.gov
Region One, Missoula contact https://www.fs.usda.gov/contactus/r1/about-region/contactus
Main Message to U.S. Forest Service and Elected Officials:
Deny this permit to triple the size of the Holland Lake Lodge, ruining pristine Holland Lake and endangering our wildlife. This proposal simply is not in the public interest and should be denied now. 99 percent of the 6,500 comments oppose this outrageous proposal.
Other tips for your letters and calls to elected officials:
Montanans and Americans love their public lands – our public lands.
Holland Lake Lodge sits on public land, and we don’t want industrial tourism and commercial recreation to destroy our pristine Holland Lake.
Tripling the size of the lodge would negatively impact threatened and endangered species like grizzly bears and bull trout and bring huge commercial operations to the rural and historic Seeley-Swan Valley.
The Forest Service should deny this special use permit requested by the huge Utah-based ski company, POWDR.
We value our public lands, clean air and water, abundant wildlife and the strong communities in the Seeley-Swan Valley, and don’t want these resources to be despoiled by commercialization of OUR public land.
And we certainly don’t like the way this huge development was secretly hatched and then proposed to the public with public comment limited by the Forest Service, whose officials actually misinformed the public about the true size of the project. (The Forest Service had to apologize for the mistake, no less.)
We’ve lost trust in this agency and believe that they should be looking out for their bosses – Americans – and respecting the need to protect our natural resources and public lands.
We want our friends, family and future generations to continue to enjoy our spectacular natural resources, and not hand them over to a huge commercial ski developer.
99 percent of the 6,500 comments on this outrageous proposal opposed the project. They know it’s wrong.
Deny the permit – it’s not in the public interest.
– Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
